A missing Frenchman has been rescued after getting lost in a Thai jungle while hiking alone.

Sierra Gamache, 73, went on a trek around the Khao Eto mountain in Prachin Buri province, Thailand at around noon on March 26 without telling his wife.

He had called his sister saying he would be home by 1 PM, but called her again at 5 PM to tell her he had become lost in the forest and was thirsty and tired.

Sierra's phone died and he could not be reached, prompting his family to call for a search party as dusk fell.

Volunteers scoured the mountain and found Gamache's white motorcycle parked near the trail, with no sign of the missing hiker.

They also deployed heat-sensing drones, to no avail.

The rescue teams received good news at 6:20 AM the following day that Gamache had been found safe by a villager, Prasong Netwong, 55, who lives in the forest.

Sierra said: 'I was lost, there was no way for me to know the way back. I just kept walking in the direction I thought was safe and hoped I would find someone.'

Prasong said he was gardening in his backyard when he heard someone calling for help. Emerging from the woods was an exhausted Sierra, covered in soot from forest fires.

The resident said he recognised the man as the foreigner who was reported missing on a recent news live stream. He invited the hiker into his home to rest and drink water as he called the emergency services.

Upon arrival, the rescue team fed the enervated Frenchman with food before taking him to a hospital for a medical evaluation, despite his insistence that he was fine and in good health.

Sierra thanked the team and local residents who assisted in his rescue. He said he enjoyed hiking in Thailand because of its beautiful forests.

The Frenchman said: 'I will be more careful in the future if I go hiking alone. I'm very grateful for everybody who was searching for me.'

Meanwhile, Sierra's relieved Thai wife said her husband was fond of going on hikes without her knowledge.

She added he has secretly gone on around five or six hikes in the past.