A taxi driver went to police in Pattaya after a foreign passenger tried to pay his fare with cannabis instead of money.

The driver, Prachuap, 54, reported the incident to Muang Pattaya police at 1.36am on Tuesday, said Pol Col Chanan Kesornbua, deputy superintendent of investigation.

Prachuap said a foreign passenger asked him for a ride at Suvarnabhumi airport to a hotel in Pattaya. The fare was agreed at 2,000 baht. The foreigner said his wife would pay when they arrived at the hotel.

When they reached the hotel, the passenger gave the driver 900 baht in cash. His wife came outside to meet him but said she only had 50 baht.

Prachuap asked for the remaining 1,050 baht that was still owed. The couple said they had no money and offered him a big packet of cannabis instead.

The taxi driver said he refused to take it and told them he would report the incident to police. The couple became angry and ran inside the hotel, leaving him without payment.

Prachuap said he had helped passengers before who did not have enough money. But this experience made him not want to help other passengers in future.

He said taxi drivers were often in the news for behaving badly towards tourists, but this time it was different and he did not know what to do except go to police for help.