A motorcycle taxi driver was killed by a gunman in Pattaya on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Prathum Sa-ardnak, 47, who worked from a queue at Bali Hai Bay in South Pattaya, was shot in the head about 1.30pm by a man with a handgun.

Police recovered a cartridge from the scene.

Prathum had dropped off a passenger just before he was murdered.

Prisda Klabpong, 28, told police she had returned from a trip to Koh Lan and hired Prathum to take her from Bali Hai pier to an area where she had parked her car.

As she was opening her car door, she heard the sound of a gunshot. Startled, she spun around and saw Prathum drop to the ground.

She saw a black Honda PCX motorcycle with two men on it speed away. She did not notice the motorcycle's licence plate number.

Other details were not known. Police were beginning an investigation.