A British man was rushed to a hospital after he was found covered in blood in northern Thailand.

Neil Tyson, 58, sparked panic when he visited a local supermarket in Chiang Mai with blood smeared all over his face on Tuesday.

The store owner was shocked at the man casually buying beer despite his alarming injury. He called the police and an ambulance, believing Neil had been assaulted.

Photos show medics loading the tourist into an ambulance to be treated at a hospital.

Police Colonel Prachaya Thisala, superintendent of the city's station, said Neil was later brought in for questioning, with the Brit calmly explaining that the whole incident was a 'misunderstanding'.

The police officer said: 'We called the injured man in for questioning.

'He explained that in the morning, he went to a grocery store to buy beer. The shop owner was shocked when he saw his bloody face and called the police.

'At first, the residents thought he had been assaulted, so the reporters thought that he had been assaulted at a karaoke bar, similar to a previous case.

'We followed him to the hospital and questioned him. He said he drank alcohol in his room and slipped, causing his face to hit the edge of the wooden bed.

‘He did not treat his wound because he thought he was okay and went down to buy a drink while still intoxicated.

‘He confirmed that he was not attacked and said that he was a former police officer and has been staying here alone for a year.

‘He has already been discharged from the hospital and returned to his accommodation.'

Neil also led officers to his room, pointing out dried blood stains on the floor to show where he had fallen and injured himself.

He said the bruising and heavy bleeding were made worse by a chronic health condition and the aspirin he had taken, which slowed his blood clotting.

Police said they have advised Neil to seek medical attention if his conditions worsen.