Rescue teams are today searching for a French pensioner went missing after a tour boat he was on with other holidaymakers capsized during a storm in Thailand.

Rene Mary Corre, 83, was dragged away by powerful currents when high waves sank the longtailed boat he was riding at the Rajjaprabha Dam in Surat Thani, Thailand, on November 23.

The Ban Ta Khun Police Station said they received a report at 12:10 pm local time. Park officials rushed to the scene and rescued the other holidaymakers and boat crew. However, the Frenchman was reported to have disappeared in the water.

Thai tour guide Petchalak Rujiwat said Corre was part of a group she had been taking around Thailand for 10 days. She had planned to take them to a raft house in the middle of the reservoir when the freak weather struck.

She said: 'In the morning, the sky was clear and beautiful with no sign of rain. We boarded a long-tail boat as usual. They had just finished taking pictures and sightseeing when the storm suddenly rolled in. The rain was so heavy that we could not see our way.

'When our boat finally sank, I told all the tourists to stay calm and stick together in groups so they would not be swept away. We were lucky the accident happened at a tourist spot where many boats were sailing back and forth.'

Petchalak said all 13 people on the boat - 10 French tourists, two guides including herself, and the boat driver - were wearing life jackets when it capsized.

The boat operator Somchart Ruangmuang said: 'During the incident, I slowed down the engine due to instability before the boat was struck by strong winds. The boat was not overloaded.'

Authorities ferried the tourists back to the pier for safety. Two of them were taken to the Ban Ta Khun Hospital for chest tightness, while another was moved to the Surat Thani Hospital after swallowing water.

Rescue teams were scouring a 12-mile (20-kilometre) radius around where Corre had disappeared. They said a GPS signal from his phone had been detected in the area. However, poor weather and turbid conditions were hampering the search.

The operation was ongoing on Monday, November 25.

Officials in Thailand's south have in recent days restricted boat tours and visits to local waterfalls as heavy rain continued to batter the region.

Tour operator Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran Co announced it moved operations to the Saphan Klang and Bangrak piers to avoid strong waves on November 24 and 25 to avoid strong waves.

While Muko Ang Thong Marine National Park officials suspended visits to the Muko Ang Thong islands in Surat Thani province for public safety.

The Koh Samui district office has also temporarily banned tour guides from taking visitors to the Hin Lad, Na Muang, and Wang Sao Thong waterfalls due to dangerous currents.

The Rajjaprabha Dam in Khao Sok National Park is the site of several tourist disappearances.

On December 17, 2022, a Irish man Odhran Joseph O'Neill, 22, drowned while paddling in the reservoir. His body was found the next day at a depth of 50ft (15m).

While on February 11, British tourist Gowribalan Shanghaman, 24, plunged into the dam after falling from his kayak. He was discovered floating on the surface three days later on Valentine's Day.

On August 6, dozens of tourists were trapped in the Tham Nam Thalu Cave near the reservoir, after two tour guides flouted local rules to sneak them inside.

The cave - which had been closed to visitors for the rainy monsoon season - suddenly flooded, drowning one Thai tour guide Pongyos Kerddee, 37, who was found lifeless at the back of the cavern. The group were rescued at 1 am on August 7.