Tourist boat packed with 38 people sinks while off coast of holiday hotspot sparking desperate rescue mission in Phuket

DRAMATIC footage shows the moment a tourist boat with 38 people onboard sank off the coast of Thailand.

The vessel - called The Ameray 888 - had set sail on an excursion before disaster struck off the holiday hotspot of Phuket on Monday.

A dramatic rescue mission was launched after the vessel capsized and sank in just 20 minutes.

The shocking incident was caught on camera just off Ko Racha Island.

The boat - worth around £380,000 - set sail from the island's Chalong Pier at around 12:30pm on Monday.

It was bound for another holiday hotspot - Koh Hey Island - but a distress call was sent shortly after the ship set sail.

Disaster struck when water started pouring through a detached window.

The doomed boat was carrying 33 Chinese tourists, a tour guide, an intern, and three crew members.

Several nearby boats rushed to scene to rescue those onboard.

These included a Maliwan fishing vessel and a tour boat.

Dramatic footage showed the tourists and crew climbing up the stairs of a rescue boat.

Thankfully none of them died as they were wearing life jackets.

Several Chinese tourists sustained minor injuries.

They were met with a response team and translators when they were taken back to Chalong Pier.

The director of the Phuket Regional Harbour Office, said: “The mandatory life jacket policy proved crucial.

“All passengers were wearing life jackets when the emergency occurred, allowing them to stay safely afloat until rescue arrived.”

An investigation into the cause of the accident has been launched.

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