It is not known whether any Indian tourists were on the plane. Among the passengers, more than 70 were foreigners, officials said.

The plane, belonging to the budget airline 'One-Two-Go' burst into flames and broke in two when it tried to land in heavy rain, Thai officials said.

The plane was carrying 123 passengers and seven crew members on a domestic flight from Bangkok to Phuket, Thai television channels reported.

Several people have been hospitalised and some passengers were missing, officials said adding several of the dead were tourists.

Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla said in a statement that 87 people had died and 43 survived the crash.

Phuket's Deputy Governor Worapot Ratthaseema said the bodies were laid out in the airport building.

The dead included Irish, Israeli, Australian, French and British passengers. The injured also included foreigners.

Officials believe 15 survivors were Thai and 28 were foreign.