A missing British tourist who is believed to have fallen into a lake while kayaking was found dead this morning.

Shanghaman Gowribalan, 24, took the kayak out with friends on the Rajjaprabha Dam in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, at around 9 am on Sunday, February 11.

But the backpacker is said to have plunged into the deepest part of the reservoir, around 500 metres away from the Kraisorn Raft House where he was staying, and could not swim to safety.

His two panicked pals raised the alarm shortly after and tried to direct rescue teams to the spot where Shanghaman had disappeared,

Scuba divers - including Danish specialist Ivan Karadzic who was also involved in the Tham Luang cave rescue - had been searching the lake for three days before Shanghaman's body surfaced this morning.

Police Lieutenant Kongyuth Noomuan, who is overseeing the case, said: 'The body of the tourist was found this morning.

'We believe it was an accident and he drowned because he was not experienced with rowing and was not a good swimmer.'

Local rescue teams had been joined by specialist scuba divers from neighbouring regions of Thailand. Sonar was also used to try and locate the Brit's body.

Officers claim that Shanghaman took the kayak out without registering it with staff at the national park. They said that Shanghaman was not wearing a life jacket.

Worapote Lomlim, the local park director, said on Monday: 'Initial investigations suggest that the two tourists may have violated park regulations. In order to take a kayak out for paddling, you must register first to receive a paddle and life jacket from the staff.

'No registration was found. We believe the two tourists left early in the morning without wearing life jackets. Therefore, the head of the Khao Sok National Park will be investigating the facts.'

A spokesman for the Khao Sok National Park, the sprawling area of forest in which the lake is found, added: 'The body of the missing person was found washed ashore near his accommodation, prompting the park staff and rescue team to collaborate in transporting the body to the pier at 9.30 AM, where the inquiry officer and doctor were waiting to perform an autopsy.

'The body was then taken to Ban Ta Khun Hospital, while his relatives have been contacted to inform them about the discovery.'