Nine Swedish tourists were rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Thailand.

The holidaymakers were on a sightseeing trip riding the long-tailed 'Mermaid' boat when it overturned near Krabi province on February 5.

A rescue team was sent to retrieve the tourists who were near Koh Hong island. Everyone was safe as they had all been wearing life jackets.

There were no strong winds or waves at the time, but authorities believe the boat lost its balance as it had been modified to be more attractive to tourists.

The wooden roof added for decoration is said to have caused the boat to flip over when the passengers crowded to one side for a photo.

Weerasak Srisatjang, chief of Than Bok Khorani National Park, said: 'The tourists were lucky they were wearing life jackets and suffered only minor injuries.'

The foreigners were safely brought ashore and returned to their hotel. The cause of the accident will be investigated further, authorities said.