A British tourist was rescued from a stricken yacht off the coast of Thailand.

The holidaymaker and his Australian friend were onboard the sailboat named Maverick when the electrical system failed.

A May Day call was received by the Thai navy in Songkhla province near the border with Malaysia on December 14.

The pair were rescued along with a third person and taken ashore. The Brit and the Aussie were both pictured thanking the marine troops.

Vice Admiral Naret Wongtrakul, commander of the Second Naval Area Command, said: 'A Dornier 228 plane and the Tor 995 patrol boat after receiving a report.

'All three people onboard were brought ashore. There were no injuries.'

The Maverick yacht was found drifting under overcast skies some 62 miles (100 kilometres) from a light buoy.

The 60ft sailboat, with a displacement of 25 gross tonnes, was towed to the Songkhla Naval Base for repairs.

It came as the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) raised a warning for 'heavy to very heavy' rainfall in southern Thailand from December 13 to 16. 

The islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan suffered severe flooding during the storms.

The department said a strengthening northeast monsoon would prevail over the Gulf of Thailand and the south. A low-pressure cell over the lower southern region and Malaysia was forecasted to towards the Andaman Sea from December 13 to 15, causing even more rain.  

Strong winds were expected to churn waves up to 10ft in the Gulf.

Residents near waterways and low-lying areas were urged to be vigilant of flash floods.