Thai coast guards have retrieved the body of a dead tourist found floating near Thai islands.

Koh Samui Marine Police received a report that the body of an unidentified man was found drifting off Ao Baan Tai between the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province on May 5.

The male corpse - believed to have been floating at sea for around five days - was wearing white underwear and had tattoos of a flying bird on his right arm, butterflies on his left chest, and an anklet tattoo on his left foot. He was also wearing a stainless steel bracelet.

The body was initially thought to have been a female tourist, and was first spotted near Thai 'Death Island' Koh Tao in the same province on May 4. However, when authorities came to retrieve the corpse, it had already been swept away by ocean currents before turning up again the next day around 40 miles away.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Phanthep O-me of the Koh Samui Marine Police said a post mortem examination will now be conducted to determine the tourist's cause of death.

He said: 'We are requesting boat operators to survey their staff and crew and to check if anyone is missing. If you have any information that could help identify the deceased, please contact the Marine Police.

'Extensive checks have been made with local hotels but there are no missing people reported. However, there are are many hotels we have not contacted as there are several islands nearby that the person could have been staying on.'