A captain and two crew members were injured when a fire engulfed a yacht moored off the coast of a Thai island this morning.

The vessel had just dropped off tourists before the flames started as it was moored at the Ao Po Grand Marina in Phuket, Thailand.

Officials said the boat named Flamingo Lady 2 was several miles from the shore making it difficult to tackle the inferno, which started shortly before 11am local time.

Marine police said it was docked between the two small islands of Koh Nakha Yai and Koh Raet when the right engine malfunctioned. The captain could not control the engine speed, causing the engine to overheat and sparks to hit the oil vapor, leading to a fire on the ship.

The boat captain Charoon Rungsamut, 31, suffered minor leg injuries and was taken to Thalang Hospital. The other two crew members are also being treated in hospital.

The cause of the incident and the damage are under investigation.