This is the heroic moment a passing boat rescued passengers struggling to stay afloat after their vessel capsized in a river in Thailand.

Commuters were travelling along the Mekong River bordering Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, when they spotted two distressed men floating in the water off Chiang Mai province on February 7.

Their boat had sunk, and they were clinging onto their belongings as makeshift life preservers.

Thai local Nantawan Thipmonta said: 'The men might have been inexperienced. The winds and current were strong at the time, which likely caused their boat to sink. They are safe now after we brought them back to shore.'

The drowning pair were pulled aboard the wooden boat and taken ashore to recover from their ordeal.