This is the dramatic moment a British tourist attacked a rude passenger for allegedly putting his feet on a minivan seat.

The Brit was said to have lashed out at the Middle Eastern man when he propped his bare feet against his headrest during their tour of the tropical island Phuket.

The young man asked the Arab to put his feet down, but was reportedly met with laughter and mockery, sparking a fight inside the van on November 11.

Footage shows the British tourist throwing a punch as the other man retaliated with a barefoot kick.

Tour staff then intervened and separated the pair before the row could escalate.

Thai tour guide Yutthachai Samee, who was also riding the van, said: ‘The problem started when the Arab tourist put his feet on the seat of a British tourist.

‘The British tourist spoke calmly, saying it was inappropriate, but the Arab client mocked, laughed, and acted rudely towards him.

‘The British tourist began recording a video and tried to explain politely again, but the Arab tourist ignored him and punched his phone when the van arrived at the company. The British customer then retaliated, as seen in the video.'

‘We tried our best to stop them, while the Arab customer was seen using his shoe to fight back. He seemed to think it was ok to act that way because the British tourists were younger and there were only two of them.'

Following the incident, the Middle Eastern tourist asked to be taken back to his hotel while the rest of the group continued the trip.

Yutthachai described the British tourist as 'polite and well-mannered', apologising to everyone 'despite being provoked first'.

He added: 'He would not have acted that way unless it had been serious.'

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.