An abandoned cruise ship hotel caught fire on a resort island in Thailand.

The dilapidated Grand Laguna Hotel, dubbed a 'ghost ship' by the locals, was engulfed in flames on Koh Chang island in Trat province on December 3 morning.

Video shows the blaze ripping through the old vessel's interior as thick smoke billowed out of the windows.

Jakkrit Salakpetch, mayor of Koh Chang Tai Subdistrict Municipality, said the fire was reported at 11:45 am local time.

He said: 'The fire was more severe than we expected. More than 50 fire engines were dispatched, but they were still unable to extinguish the flames.'

Firefighters said the fire began on the ground floor and rapidly spread to the upper floors due to the ship's wooden material and strong winds. The structure was more than 50 per cent destroyed, they said.

By 1:45 pm, officials said they could only contain the inferno, which they hoped would burn out in three days.

There were no injuries reported as no tourists were present when the fire erupted. The cause was still being investigated.

The mayor said they were calling the hotel owner Oran Asawaritthikul to estimate the cost of damages.

Oran was reported to have opened the hotel in 1992. Though initially well-received, the business eventually declined and finally ceased operations in 2016. The property was put up for sale for more than one billion baht (23 million GBP) but there have been no buyers.

Despite being closed, the decaying ruins remain a popular spot for tourists who visit it for its eerie atmosphere.


(1 GBP = 43.62 THB)