High waves have obstructed the search for a Polish tourist and a Thai woman who went missing while kayaking off a Phuket beach.

Deputy provincial governor Supoj Rodmuang updated the progress of the mission on Monday. He said rough seas were posing a problem for rescuers as their search for Mateusz Juszkiewicz, 27, and Veerakan Sirivipakorn, 23, entered its third day.

The two did not return to Yanui beach after going with a group of friends in kayaks on Saturday evening.

Polish friends in the same group told police that while they were returning to shore, they received a telephone call from Mr Juszkiewicz saying that he and the Thai woman were still far from land and unable to make it back. They lost contact after that.

Officials from the navy, Marine Department, police units and tambon administration organisations began their search on the same day, with boats, planes and helicopters. They have covered 400 of the planned 600 square miles off the island but still have not found the pair and would expand the search area if necessary.

"We won't give up hope. We'll do whatever we can to find them," the deputy governor said.

Given the direction of the wind, the deputy commander of the Royal Thai Navy Region 3 said, the two and their kayak might have drifted to a neighbouring country, indicating Myanmar.