This is the dramatic moment two tourists were rescued after drifting for two hours off the coast of Phuket.

The holidaymakers were swimming at Mittraphap Beach in seaside town Rawai when they were swept away by strong waves on July 26.

The pair, a man and a woman, were later spotted by passengers on the catamaran Saffron Seas, which was headed to Koh Hey island from Ao Chalong at around 2 pm.

Footage shows boat crew plucking the couple from choppy seas and dragging them onto a rubber boat.

The exhausted tourists were taken to Koh Hey to rest before they returned to the Phuket mainland on a long-tailed boat.

They thanked the boat captain for stopping to save them, saying they thought they would not survive.

Authorities said the couple were unharmed and have safely returned to their hotel.

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.