A British tourist is recovering in hospital after being shot during a violent road rage incident where he nearly crashed into a drug dealer outside of a hotel in Thailand.
Aiden Jay McDonald, 25, from Dundee, was allegedly gunned down by a cannabis seller at the Mae Hong Son province on Tuesday evening.
Police say the holidaymaker almost crashed into 40-year-old Kitinan Pantarak, which led to a furious argument in the street.
As the row escalated, Kitinan is accused of pulling out a gun and shooting the Brit in the arm. In a strange twist, he then drove the injured man to the hospital himself before leaving the scene.
Officers later arrested Kitinan at his home and charged him with attempted murder. They confirmed Aiden is now out of danger, but revealed he is also being investigated for overstaying his visa.
Police Colonel Phasawin Kaewtai, superintendent of Pai Police Station, said: 'We received a report that a British man had been shot with a firearm and was injured.
'Officers and investigators went to the scene and found that the British man had already been taken to Pai Hospital.
'He had sustained an injury to his arm. He was staying at a rented room, not as a guest at the Yoma Hotel.
Aiden Jay McDonald, 25, from Dundee, was allegedly gunned down by a cannabis seller outside a hotel in Mae Hong Son on Tuesday evening
As the row escalated, Kitinan is accused of pulling out a gun and shooting the Brit in the arm
Police say they tracked the alleged attacker and he has now been charged with attempted murder
From security camera footage, it was clear there was an altercation between the suspect and the tourist.
Police say the suspect told them he had known Aiden for weeks and that the Brit owed him money from a cannabis purchase.
Colonel Kaewtai added: 'The suspect said that he had known the British after selling cannabis to him. He said the tourist owes him about 2,500 Baht (£57). They happened to encounter each other in front of the hotel.
'They had not arranged to meet and nearly collided on their motorcycles. The suspect claimed that the British man punched him first. He then fired a gun at the tourist, injuring him, and afterwards personally took him to Pai Hospital.
'The security camera clearly confirms the suspect bringing the victim to the hospital. Ambulances or police were not at the scene.
'While the hospital was treating the tourist, the suspect left and returned to his house. We tracked him down and arrested him. He has been charged with attempted murder.
'Yesterday, he was brought before Mae Hong Son Provincial Court, Pai Branch, for pre-trial detention, and police opposed bail. Whether he has since applied for bail, I cannot confirm, but we did submit him for custody and objected to release.
'When I went to visit the foreigner in the hospital, he told me it was an accident. He did not seem to want to pursue the matter, as if he acknowledged his own part in what happened and did not want to escalate it.
Police say the attacker claims McDonald owed him money from a previous drug purchase
Blood is seen on the floor as police investigate. The incident is said to have happened outside a hotel in Mae Hong Son province
'In fact, he has overstayed his visa by four days already - he should have left Thailand on August 22, but the incident occurred on August 26.
'We are now waiting to take a further statement from the victim. His injuries are not serious. When I visited yesterday, he was walking around with an IV drip even going outside to smoke a cigarette, showing no signs of remorse or concern.'
Thailand legalised cannabis in 2022, but the lack of clear rules has seen a boom in unregulated sales, especially in tourist spots.
Officials are now planning to tighten the law by requiring medical certificates for purchases.