This is the terrifying moment a waterspout tornado raged across the sea in Thailand.

The vortex sparked alarm when it began whirling off Koh Chang island in Rayong province at 11 am local time on May 12.

Footage shows a thick funnel descending from a blanket of dark storm clouds. The twister touched down off the coast of Ban Phe village, prompting fishermen trawling the area to race back to shore.

Onlooker Junjira said: 'We were on a boat trip when we saw the tornado sucking up seawater into the sky. It looked like something out of a disaster movie. All of us were terrified.'

Locals said the waterspout tornado dissipated after 10 minutes. There were no injuries or damages reported.

Authorities urged boat operators and fishermen to closely monitor weather announcements from the Thai Meteorological Department before setting sail.

Two types of tornado form at sea - tornadic waterspouts and fair-weather waterspouts. Tornadic waterspouts form from thunderstorms, just like land tornadoes, while fair-weather waterspouts are typically smaller and less powerful without the need for storms.

Both types of waterspout tornadoes are created when there is a strong difference in air pressure between the surface of the water and the air above it. This difference in pressure creates an updraft, which draws air from the surface of the water into the atmosphere. As the air rises, it cools and condenses, forming a cloud. The cloud can then rotate, forming a waterspout.

It is rare for waterspouts to cause severe damage. However, in August 2023 two tourists were killed and six injured when a waterspout tornado hit their boat on an estuary river in Phetchaburi, southern Thailand.