Terrified tourists climbed onto balconies in their underwear as a fire ripped through a hotel on a Thai island.

The fire started in a laundry room on the fourth floor of the Peach Hill Resort in Phuket at 6 pm on Friday evening.

Panicked guests fled from their rooms gasping for air as fire crews raced to the property. Others leaned out of windows.

Firemen from the Karon and Patong districts of the bustling holiday destination eventually secured the building while the worried guests gathered outside.

One of the shaken holidaymakers said: 'The fire was not near my room. When I heard the alarms I thought it was a test. When I looked outside and saw the smoke I realised it was real and I went outside.'

Firemen said they received an emergency call about the inferno shortly after 6 pm local time. Six fire trucks were dispatched to the 241-room hotel.

The flames were eventually brought under control with the help of staff using fire extinguishers.

Investigators said the blaze started from an electrical appliance in a room used by maids for cleaning bedsheets. There were also disinfectants and cleaning chemicals in cupboards inside the room.

They said dozens of rooms were damaged in the blaze. None of the guests were injured.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Charas Lempan said: 'The fire was successfully brought under control but many rooms suffered smoke damage. All of the tourists in the hotel were evacuated.'

'Currently, officers from the Karon district police station are inspecting the scene and assessing the damage. Forensic officers are also finding the cause of the fire in detail.'

In October last year, a captain and two crew members were injured when a fire engulfed their yacht moored off the coast of Phuket.

The island has seen an influx of tourists following the easing of visa rules in order to boost tourism income.