A large fire ripped through seven speedboats on a Thai holiday island and left several tourists stranded on Saturday evening.

The flames started from the tourist boats docked next to each other on Koh Mak island in Trat province on January 7.

The vessels were moored following warnings of rough seas and high waves when they caught fire, which rapidly spread due to strong winds.

Some 100 responders and volunteers rushed to put out the fire. Officers could not salvage any of the boats which were destroyed in the blaze, but managed to prevent the fire from reaching a nearby residential area.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined as there were no witnesses when it started. However, Koh Mak Mayor Nol Suwatjananon said he was confident there was no arson involved.

He said: 'It was fortunate that no people or other assets were affected by the fire. The estimated cost of damages is around 15 million baht (around 449,000 USD).

Despite the staggering losses, the official was optimistic that the island's tourism industry will not be severely crippled.

Meanwhile, the Thai navy transported the stranded tourists back to the Trat province mainland as only six boats were left after the fire.