This is the dramatic moment three tourists were rescued from choppy seas in Thailand.

The holidaymakers were paddling off Tan Khu Beach when they were swept away by a rip tide in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on December 30.

Lifeguards and rescue teams were alerted by other beachgoers. They used a jet ski to quickly reach the drowning visitors and return them to the shore.

A Moroccan man, 50, and another foreign tourist were taken to the Khanom Hospital for breathing difficulties. While the rescued Thai man declined hospital treatment.

The victims were said to be guests staying at a nearby resort for the New Year.

The Thai Meteorological Department had earlier issued a severe weather warning in the Gulf of Thailand.

The agency said a high-pressure system from China and a strong northeast monsoon were causing heavy rainfall and rough seas in southern Thailand.

Authorities have urged tourists to heed warnings amid dangerous sea conditions.

Beach drownings are a recurring safety concern in Thailand, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi. The deaths often attributed to strong rip currents, lack of swimming skills, and disregard for warning signages.

The waters are most dangerous during the country's rainy monsoon season, when red flags are placed in beaches to warn of dangerous sea conditions.