A Russian tourist drowned in front of his wife when he was swept away by strong waves from Typhoon Mawar on a Thai holiday island.

Pavel Rafaylovich, 52, and his wife went for a morning swim at the Patong Beach in Phuket on May 27 morning.

The couple waded into the water as strong winds churned up the sea, with Pavel venturing a few hundred metres from the shore.

However, the currents proved too much for him, and he was soon engulfed by the turbulent waves.

His frightened wife, seeing her husband flailing helplessly, screamed for help. Lifeguards swam to pull Pavel back to dry land.

Patong police officers arrived at the beach, where medics were already administering CPR on the unconscious holidaymaker.

Despite their efforts, Pavel was declared dead, having lost too much oxygen. His body was taken to the Patong Hospital.

Police Major Chayakorn Tangsakul of the Patong Police Station said: 'The waves were very strong due to an approaching typhoon, causing the tourist to drown. We plan to question his wife to gather more details.'

The couple had been staying at the Charm Hotel near Patong Beach before the tragic accident.

Officials have contacted the Russian Embassy to make arrangements for the repatriation of Pavel's body.

The Southern Meteorological Department had issued a heavy rain warning for Phuket over the weekend. The agency said the southwestern monsoon was churning up waves in the Andaman Sea, amplified by Typhoon Mawar heading for the eastern coast of the Philippines.

Authorities were advised to restrict small boats from setting sail as waves could reach seven to 10 metres high, the department said.