British tourists returning from Thailand's notorious 'Death Island' were seriously injured when their van crashed into a truck.

The van was carrying 11 holidaymakers back to the capital Bangkok when reportedly rear-ended the oil tanker along a road in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on January 23.

Police said the traffic accident was reported at 10 am local time. They arrived at the scene, where they found the minivan with its front part smashed. The rear of tanker was dented and one of its wheels was dislodged.

The British were among five people who suffered serious head and facial injuries. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Panasit Rittirong of the local police station said: 'The accident caused traffic congestion because the road was blocked by both vehicles. We poured sand over the leaking oil from the tanker to keep other drivers from slipping.

'There were 11 foreign passengers. The Thai driver sustained minor injuries. All of the injured tourists were men. We have sent them to the Sam Roi Yot Hospital.'

Authorities said there were five Brits onboard. They were named by police as Charlie Luke Patzer, 27, Steven Michael Wainwright, 27, Mitchell Allan Crowther, 26, Jakl Thomas Jackson, 27, and Brandon Joseph Morris, 26.

The bus driver said he had picked up the tourists from Koh Tao island - dubbed the 'Death Island' for its reputation for murders and mystery deaths.

He said: 'I was trying to overtake the oil tanker. I drove onto the right lane to avoid it, but I ended up hitting its rear.'

The truck driver said he was delivering the fuel from Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

He said: 'I was on my way to a factory in Pathum Thani Province. While driving, I heard a loud noise that shook the rear of the truck, so pulled over to check what happened. That's when I learned the truck had been hit.'

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.

Koh Tao was dubbed Death Island following the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014. Dozens of other cases of tourist deaths have since emerged.

Earlier this month, Irish backpacker Robby Kinlan, 21, was found dead in just his boxer shorts while lying on his bed holding a phone. Police quickly ruled out anything suspicious.

Authors, documentary makers and researchers have blamed corrupt Thai police and a powerful clique of local families that control the island for covering up the murders in order to protect the lucrative tourism industry.

The most high profile deaths on Koh Tao unfolded in September 2014 when British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were battered to death on the beach by a suspected local serial killer.

Despite two Burmese workers allegedly being framed for the murders, many locals, authors and documentary makers have cited evidence pointing to the son of a well-connected local family being responsible. It is claimed that police covered up the death in order to protect the family and the tourism industry.

Dozens of unexplained deaths of young tourists have been linked to the island of the years.