Five Vietnamese fishermen claimed they survived five days stranded at sea by clinging onto a bucket.

The trawlers were fishing off Kien Giang in Vietnam when their boat was battered by strong waves, causing it to sink while they were swept into Thai waters.

Crew from the Thai fishing boat 'Sri Pho Thong' found the distressed fishermen floating in the Gulf of Thailand, clinging for their lives on a bucket on January 28 evening.

Boat crew reported the incident to the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center, which requested assistance from the Second Naval Area Command Base in Songkhla province.

The Tor 112 M36 Patrol Boat was dispatched to retrieve the Vietnamese fishermen, three of whom were severely ill.

The fishermen boarded the rescue boat amid inclement weather. By 11 pm, they were safely transported to the Songkhla Naval Base Pier, where they received first aid.

Medics said the men were suffering fevers and had elevated heartbeats. Three of them were rushed to a hospital as they exhibited signs of sepsis.

The fishermen told officials they were originally on a squid boat that had departed from Kien Giang, Vietnam, on January 22 intending to fish in Vietnamese waters.

They said their boat sank the next day in rough seas, and they drifted into Thai waters, where they were later rescued by the Sri Pho Thong fishing boat.