Rough seas were seen off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat in southern Thailand this afternoon as tropical storm Pabuk approached land.

Tens of thousands of tourists evacuated the popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan which are in the path of the monsoon.

Residents in the area were braced for destruction as 60mph winds lashed the area and 22ft high waves were expected to batter the coast.

The acting mayor of Koh Tao said boats to Chumphon province - the nearest mainland port from the holiday islands - were crammed with tourists, but several thousand guests were staying out to brave the storm.

Pabuk, which means a giant catfish in Lao, is also expected to dump heavy rain across the south, including tourist hotspots in the Andaman Sea such as Krabi and the southernmost provinces bordering Malaysia of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Rough seas were seen off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat in southern Thailand this afternoon as tropical storm Pabuk approached land.

Tens of thousands of tourists evacuated the popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan which are in the path of the monsoon.

Residents in the area were braced for destruction as 60mph winds lashed the area and 22ft high waves were expected to batter the coast.

The acting mayor of Koh Tao said boats to Chumphon province - the nearest mainland port from the holiday islands - were crammed with tourists, but several thousand guests were staying put to brave the storm.

Pabuk, which means a giant catfish in Lao, is also expected to dump heavy rain across the south, including tourist hotspots in the Andaman Sea such as Krabi and the southernmost provinces bordering Malaysia of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Phuwieng Prakammaintara, director general at the Thai Meteorological Department, said the region was braced for seven-metre (22ft) high waves.