Nearly 10,000 people have been affected by heavy rains that since Friday have lashed Phetchaburi province, adjacent Prachuap Khiri Khan to the south, and Ratchaburi, the interior ministry's department of disaster prevention and mitigation reported in a statement.

More than 8,700 people have been severely affected in Phetchaburi alone, where 746 people had been evacuated from their homes as of mid-day Sunday, it said.

The State Railway of Thailand has suspended service between Bangkok and points south of Petchaburi, stranding thousands of would-be passengers in the capital, while flash-flooding has made several main roadways impassable, according to television and radio reports.

The series of severe tropical storms also wrought havoc at sea, with at least 20 fishermen still missing from two trawlers that capsized in the Gulf of Thailand Wednesday.

The trawlers capsized between 40 and 60 nautical miles (74 and 111 kilometres) east of the popular destination island of Ko Samui during a fierce tropical storm, police said.

Police and rescuers from a nearby gas drilling platform had saved 15 men who were on the ill-fated boats.

The kingdom's navy helped rescue some 300 tourists from the southern resort island of Koh Tao, near Ko Samui, after high seas left them stranded without ferry or flight service Thursday.

Thailand's meteorology department forecast heavy rains to continue through Monday.

TERRA.WIRE