A pair of British tourists were among a group rescued from an abandoned hiking trail in a jungle in Thailand.

Prasannatma Das Bhatt, 30, his friend Anne Pedder, 35, and Dutch holidaymaker Sandra Helena, 44, had gone hiking through the snake-filled woods in the Khao Ra mountain of Surat Thani province on Monday morning January 30.

However as dusk arrived the trio realised they had lost their way and called park officials for help.

Thikamphon Penchaom, chief of the Than Sadet National Park, sent out a search team to locate the missing tourists.

He said: 'We examined the coordinates from one of their phones, and found that they were on a trail leading up to the peak of the mountain.'

He added that the path had been disused, and is now covered with undergrowth.

The search party finally discovered the foreigners all safe at 8:45 pm local time. They were given first aid for minor injuries.

Thikamphon added: 'Hiking in the forests can be dangerous for anyone who is not experienced and does not know the local area. Tourists should also stay on the correct paths and have emergency supplies.'

Khao Ra is the highest peak on the province's Koh Pha Ngan island. It is known to be a difficult hike, even while following the correct trail.

In September 2021, British pensioner Barry Leonard Weller, 72, was rescued after spending three days after going missing in remote jungle in Khon Kaen province.

While in May last year, two British teenage girls Eliza Keeping, 19, and Rose Cox, 19, were found safe after disappearing in woodland in Surat Thani province.