A British tourist sparked panic when he allegedly tried to steal a woman's car on Thai island Phuket.

The shirtless holidaymaker reportedly approached Mewadi Dokmai, 25, to offer help while she was unloading goods from her vehicle.

She declined and carried boxes of candle-making supplies into her shop, but when she returned, the tourist was reportedly attempting to get into the driver's seat.

Mewadi said her screams spooked the Brit. He then left her vehicle and walked away.

Mewadi filed a report at the Choeng Thale Police Station on August 18, fearing the tourist would come back to hurt her.

Police Lieutenant Sutthirak Chuthong, an investigator at the station, said: 'The man said he holds dual nationality, Australian and British. Police have contacted the Australian consulate.

'We cannot reveal his name he is considered a suspect. He is around 50 years old and entered Thailand on a tourist visa.

'He has been detained and sent to the hospital for mental health checks, but the results are not yet known.'

He added that the tourist had been seen allegedly causing trouble and stealing valuables in other parts of the holiday island.

Footage shows the half-naked man lying prone on the grassy roadside while covering his ears. Another clip shows him arguing with a Thai woman in English as he doused himself with a hose.

He said in the video that he 'can't remember' where his belongings or passport were. He told the woman: 'I'll find it! I'm not worried about it, it'll show up. I can get another one. I don't need help, I don't want help. I'm just going for a walk.'

Mewadi said she sensed something amiss when she saw that the tourist was walking around barefoot in the area.

Recounting the incident, she said: 'When I was returning from Chalong, I saw the foreign man standing at the corner of the road. I did not think anything of it, so I left the car running and unlocked all the doors before getting out and unloading things from the trunk.

‘While I was busy, he stood beside me and asked, ‘What can I help you with?' but I politely declined and told him that I could do it myself. In that moment, I felt like something was off about him as he was not wearing any shoes.

‘I continued unloading, but when I turned back to look, I saw him getting into the driver's seat of my car. I ran and shouted at him, ‘Fuck off!' then he grabbed my phone. After he saw me shouting, he put the phone down on the roof of my car and walked away.'

Mewadi reported the encounter to the police, but the man wandered into the station while she was giving her statement. Police then confirmed the man had been behaving erratically for several days, and was seen sleeping on the roads.

The shop owner continued: 'We want to let his family know, because he needs urgent help. We don't know his name, age, or nationality, but locals who've spoken to him said he was from England. We want the police to help him. If he causes more disturbances or commits any crimes, what will happen? The country's image and tourism will be further damaged.'

The once-pristine island of Phuket has been marred by over-tourism as the Thai government implements a visa-free scheme to boost revenue following the barren pandemic years.

Angry locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of 'low-quality' visitors from Russia, India and Australia. There are also fears that the island has become an enclave of criminal activity, with police unable to control street fights and more organised ruffians setting up rackets among local businesses.