A recently opened pirate ship restaurant sank in rough seas during a storm in Thailand.

The ship named Krakenian was left tilted and half submerged around two mill off the Pattaya coast after being battered by powerful waves and wind on January 30.

As water began to enter the two-decker vessel, it began to list to one side. The boat continued to flood as the water pumps onboard are believed to have malfunctioned.

No injuries were reported since the Krakenian had been closed at the time due to poor weather.

Wasan Meesat, head of Pattaya's Sea Rescue team, said: 'The team rushed to the scene immediately to keep other ships away from the site.

'Raising it back and towing it to shore will take about one hour.'

Officials said the owners will have to pay for the rescue and retrieval costs.

Pichet Thanomchat, 41, one of the ship's owners, said: 'The Krakenian had been closed for several days by the Marine Department because of the weather. The water flowed in from the left side and caused it to tilt. Luckily, no one was inside.'

The floating bar-restaurant had opened just two months ago, but was banned by authorities from re-opening to avoid similar future accidents.

It offered food, cocktails, karaoke, and squid fishing, and had a seating capacity of up to 150 passengers. Customers rode to the restaurant on speedboats from the pier.