Bus driver Samrueng Rakmun, 53, called the emergency hotline 191 at 2pm and reported that his bus had caught fire while he was driving on Sri Suthat Rd in Rassada.
Police arrived to find Mr Samrueng spraying the dashboard with the fire extinguisher carried on board the Bangkok-registered bus, eliminating any trace of smoke within minutes.
Mr Samrueng told officers that he picked up the 14 tourists from Nonthasak Pier and was heading to Patong to drop them off when flames started spouting from the speedometer.
“I stopped the bus by the side of the road and let the tourists out to safety before I reached for the fire extinguisher,” he told police.
An electrical short is believed to have started the fire.
All 14 tourists were transfered to another bus to their accommodation in Patong.