Twelve tourists, including UK citizens, were injured in a horror speedboat crash that killed the captain in southern Thailand yesterday (December 18).

The speedboat, named Choksupasarn, had 49 people on board including 45 tourists - left AA Marina pier in Phuket around 10 a.m. on Wednesday for a tour of Koh Khai Nok in Phang Nga province.

On the way back, near Koh Khai Nok. It crashed into the luxury Russian motor yacht Stella, under its Russian captain Alexander Gorbunov, 47.

The captain, Surat Mat-osod, was killed and dozens of panicked tourists were injured after being flung into the choppy seas.

Pictures show the bloodied and battered tourists being caried to hospital on stretchers.

The holidaymakers included people from Russia, Pakistan, Estonia, Iran, England and Egypt. They are being treated at Thalang Hospital in Phuket.

Rescue workers were today (19/12) searching for one of the missing crew, Manoon Samanbut, who was flung into the water.

Police Colonel Prasert Srikhunnarat, superintendent of marine police sub-division 8, said several vessels had been dispatched around the area of the crash.

He added: ''Police divers are also searching for the missing crew member and the operation will continue until we can find him. There is a chance he is still alive. There are 12 divers involved with the search.''

Kittipong Samanbut, the worried father of the missing crewman, said his son had only been working on the vessel for one month.