Three stranded Thai fishermen were rescued after being found floating on an icebox in the middle of the sea.

The trio had been drifting in the water for more than six hours when tourists from a passing boat noticed the blue container in Phang Nga province on March 24.

When the boat moved closer to the object, passengers noticed the fisherman and his two young crew members clinging to the box in the choppy water.

Onlooker Yuranun Tongprem said: 'I was fishing with my friends as a hobby. We approached the icebox that was floating in the water and saw them.

'They had been floating in the sea for six hours. It's amazing how they stayed strong through the night. My friends and I tried asking them questions but they were only able to share little details about what had happened.'

The crew quickly threw a rope before pulling the three up from the seawater.

The man, who appeared to be in his 60s, told the crew that he and the boys had to find a floatable object when their boat sank at 3 am that day. The three only appeared to be exhausted and suffering from mild dehydration but had no injuries.

After resting on board for an hour, Yuranun took the rescued locals to a nearby fishing boat so they could be ferried back to shore and treated at hospital.