This is the scary moment a tropical storm battered wooden fishing boats on the coast of Thailand.

Footage shows gusty winds whipping up the waves near the shore of the Koh Lanta district in Krabi province on August 1. The rough waters reportedly sank around 20 boats while local fishermen pulled the rest of the vessels onto dry land.

An official of the district's Village No. 8, Chaiya Rayasart, 59, said strong winds have been blowing through the fishing town since early morning that day, but started to intensify past noon.

He said: 'Heavy rain and strong winds are blowing all the time, creating big waves. This time, the waves were very strong. I've never seen anything like it.'

The storm caused signifant damage to the locals' fishing gear, Chaiya added.