The mental state of a young British backpacker is being closely monitored by authorities in Thailand after he was exorbitantly overcharged by 50 baht (£1) in the capital city. 21 year-old Ben Carter assumed he'd haggled a dirt cheap fare for a 5 minute tuk-tuk ride, only to later discover that he was well and truly fleeced. Travelling friends were quick to explain the colossal shortcomings of his bargaining strategy; they subsequently pinned him to the ground and read out a list of Thai rice and noodle dishes which were equal in price to the overpayment.

"I don't honestly know what went wrong", remarked a close friend, who does not want to be named or associated with the incident. "It's a complete humiliation and he's really let himself down. We're all on tight budgets and he's pissing his money away through reckless negotiation. He probably can't now afford to eat for the next few days. No wonder he's clinically depressed."

The UK Foreign Office said, "We are providing support to the family and friends of a young British national. Our sympathies are with them at this difficult time. We are in close contact with authorities in Thailand to ensure that his anti-depressants are working and that all future transactions are vetted by an independent third party."

The tuk-tuk driver from Bangkok responded to the allegations with an impassioned rebuttal. "I give him good price", he said softly.