A father washed away by a raging flash flood was rescued by concerned locals.

The middle-aged man reportedly tried to drive through the stream but abandoned his car to escape when the water surged down the river on Khiriwong Mountain in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on November 17.

Rescuers brought a lifebuoy to help the local trapped in the raging currents. But as he was being pulled to the riverbank, he lost his grip and was swept further downstream before an onlooker leapt into the water to grab him.

Footage shows the father in the middle of the fast-flowing deluge, clinging to a clump of plants for his life while a hero local tried to save him.

Wearing a life vest, the local jumped into the water with a rubber ring attached to a rope before the other residents helped pull them to safety.

He was dried off at the scene and treated but was unharmed.

Meteorologists had previously warned of flash floods in the region. In neighbouring Chumphon province, 1,430 households were affected by the torrential rain.