Kite surfers were rescued after getting stuck on cliffs during rough seas in southern Thailand.

Villagers discovered the two kite surfers, a man from Hong Kong and a Thai woman, trapped on a jagged cliff in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on December 13.

They were reportedly about to land, but the wind had blown them about 500 metres from Khao Kalok beach.

Police arrived to rescue the pair, but due to the high waves and strong winds, the operation took more than five hours.

A helicopter and a drone was sent to monitor the pair’s safety. The two tourists were successfully rescued with a jet ski and brought back to the mainland.

Drone footage shows the woman jumping into the turbulent waters, grabbing onto a life preserver and climbing on the jet ski. Her companion suffered a foot injury and was given medical attention before returning home.

Volunteer rescue worker Phromsing Singhaseni said: ‘The woman told us that there was a problem with her kite so she was pushed towards the rocks. The man tried to rescue her but ended up being stuck as well.

‘Villagers reported that they saw the tourists being blown into the mountain. We used the drone to check and found two tourists standing on the rock and calling for help.’

Southern Thailand experiences rough seas every year from November to January while the country goes through its cooler winter perioud.