Terrified tourists made a dangerous leap from a wobbling ferry to a pier as storms and choppy seas hit Thailand - sinking a navy warship with 31 sailors still missing.

Footage shows the small vessel swaying with the rough seas at the port in Ko Larn island off the coast of Pattaya in Chonburi province on December 18.

The holidaymakers could be seen balancing on the ship as they waited for it to reach the right height for them to jump onto the concrete walkway.

Onlooker Hang Thitirat said: ‘It was a sunny day, but the waves were very tall. It was a bit scary to travel that day.'

The worrying scene came as Thailand's Meteorological Department warned of severe storms and four metre high waves hitting the Gulf of Thailand and regions along the eastern-facing coastline.

Officials said the storms and heavy rain would continue until December 20 in Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat along the border with Malaysia.

The storms caused chaos for several vessels. A navy warship sank in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province leaving 31 sailors missing at sea on Sunday while an oil tanker was beached in Songkhla province. Nine crew from a stricken cargo ship were also rescued in Surat Thani when the rough seas broke container chains on the vessel.