PHUKET: A potentially violent outbreak of road rage on Patong Hill yesterday could have ended disastrously when one of the antagonists pulled out a handgun and flourished it in the air.

Fortunately, the gun was a fake. But a photograph taken by a bystander with a camera led to police arresting the pistol-waving motorist within hours yesterday.

Phuket Police Commander Major General Pachara Boonyasit told what had happened today in revealing another cache of weapons and drugs seized by police across the island as they continue a so-far highly successful campaign.

Two motorists driving across Patong Hill cut each other off as they headed up the hill towards the Buddhist temple at the top, reporters were told today.

When Prasopchoke Somboon got out of his pickup to squabble with a car driver, he pulled a gun from his pocket and was snapped in the process.

The result: police saw the photo posted on Facebook and arrested him soon after, still in possession of the gun and two bottles of water laced with illegal kratom leaves.

A similar road rage confrontation on Phuket between two motorcyclists led to one rider pulling a gun and shooting the other dead in central Phuket City in October.

Suwat Seajong, 62, has since been charged with murder.

Police activity at a checkpoint in Vichit led to three arrests and the seizure of 447.45 grams of methamphetamine valued at 1.3 million baht, the commander reported.

One of those arrested claiming the order for transportation of the drugs to Phuket via bus came from inside Chiang Rai Prison.

Commander Pachara also said he knew of no law or regulations against tourists bringing their own umbrellas to beaches.

More developments on aspects of Phuket's beach clearances were likely when Governor Nisit Jansomwong returned from a trip to China this week, he said.