Rain, wind and surging seawater from a tropical storm have buffeted coastal villages and popular tourist resorts on southern Thailand, knocking down trees and utility poles, and flooding roads.

Holidaymakers were advised to avoid the area’s east coast as tropical storm Pabuk brought 5m-high waves and winds of up to 46mph.

One person was reported dead and another missing after a fishing boat with a crew of six capsized in high waves.

Airlines and boat operators suspended operations, beaches were closed and tourists were forced to change travel plans.

More than 6,100 people across four provinces had been forced to flee in advance, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.

The Foreign Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to provinces on the Thai-Malaysia border that are expected to be hit by more torrential rain and strong winds.

The Meteorological Department said it had recorded winds of 40mph by the late afternoon, down from 47 mph when the storm hit land shortly after midday.

There had been concerns that Pabuk would be the worst storm to hit Thailand since 1989, when Typhoon Gay killed more than 400 people. But by nightfall it appeared less damage had been caused than was feared.

Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Show all 18 1 /18 Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Waves due to tropical storm Pabuk crash into a pier in the southern Thai province of Surat Thani AFP Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Tens of thousands of tourists have fled some of Thailand's most popular islands and resort areas as Tropical Storm Pabuk closes in and threatens to batter the southern part of the kingdom with heavy rains, winds and seven-metre (22-foot) waves AP Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Cars and fallen electricity poles along a road Reuters Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Children who were evacuated from their homes at a evacuation center Reuters Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall A fishing boat sinks because of high seas AFP/Getty Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Thai people push a motorcycle through floodwater AP Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Waves crash along an oil rig Reuters Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall A row of toppled powerlines block a main highway AP Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Locals clear the shoreline in preparation to the approaching Tropical Storm Pabuk AP Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall A satellite image of Tropical Storm Pabuk approaching southern Thailand Tropical Storm Pabuk NASA/EPA Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall A fallen tree Reuters Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall A man inspecting damage to his house AFP/Getty Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Debris on a road and a house (back) partially submerged in floodwaters EPA Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Chinese tourists disembark at Surat Thani airport after tour operators were forced to suspend boats AFP/Getty Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall High waves crashing into the coastline AFP/Getty Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall A woman holds up her dog as she runs toward her house Reuters Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Thai people ride a motorcycle through floodwaters AP Storm Pabuk: Thailand's worst storm in decades makes landfall Workers check electric cables Reuters

However, the Meteorological Department continued to warn of strong winds and waves of 3m-5m high in the Gulf of Thailand and 2m-3m in the Andaman Sea.

It advised all ships to stay ashore tomorrow, warning of possible storm surges on the Gulf coast.

Forecasters have also warned of possible flash flooding in certain areas.

“We can expect heavy rain and downpours, flooding and flash floods in the area throughout the night,” department chief Phuwieng Prakhammintara said.

Evacuation efforts were especially intense in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, about 480 miles south of Bangkok, where authorities sent lorries through flooded streets with downed power lines, urging people in danger zones to leave.

“You cannot stay here. It’s too dangerous,” they repeated from loudspeakers on vehicles.

This is the height of the foreign visitor season in Thailand, as many tourists head to southeast Asia to catch some winter sun.

Britons make over one million trips to the country every year to visit popular islands such as Koh Phangnan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao.

Katie Preston, 23, and Liam Bland, 29, from Hartlepool, said they were stranded on the island of Koh Phangan after they were allowed to take the last boat out from the mainland before services were stopped.

The couple, who arrived in Thailand on Boxing Day for a three-week holiday, criticised the lack of information they had received.

“We hadn’t heard about any storm and none of the staff we spoke to at Samui airport or at the boats mentioned it so we didn’t know it was going to happen,” Ms Preston said.