A COLLISION between two speedboats off Koh Phangnan, near Samui, has left two people missing and 39 injured and in hospital, with two expats in serious condition, police told Phuketwan today.

About 10pm on Saturday night one speedboat was heading from Samui to the neighboring island 15 minutes away for Phangnan's well-known regular Full Moon Party. Another speedboat was coming from Phangnan, laden with tourist passengers.

''The two crashed about 10 minutes off Phangnan,'' an island officer told Phuketwan today.

Two people were on the speedboat going to Phangnan and 39 were on the crowded speedboat coming back, Phangnan police told Phuketwan in the latest update on the aftermath.

One Thai survivor told local media that the heavily-laden speedboat was going fast and had not lights.

Seventeen Thais were injured, police said. At this stage, the identity and nationality of the two missing people is not known.

The injured included four Britons, four Australians and four Singaporeans. Also among them were Irish, Norwegian, Malaysian and Thai tourists, an officer said.

At least two expats suffered serious head injuries, he said. Everybody on the tourist boat was wearing life jackets.

Samui's Director of Marine Transport was reported to be among the injured, returning from a trip to Phangnan to see the Full Moon Party for himself. A local mayor was also among the injured.

Associated Press reported that the monthly parties on the island, 1000 kilometers south of Bangkok, are ''rave-type gatherings fueled by drugs and alcohol and have become associated with crimes such as rape and theft because of their freewheeling atmosphere.''

Samui Rescue staff and staff from the three major hospitals on Koh Samui were reported to have gone to the Bang Rak pier last night to transfer passengers from rescue boats to the waiting ambulances.

The Australian embassy in Bangkok was working with Thai authorities to assist the injured Australians and identify any others who may have been involved.

Drew Oliver, a friend of one of the injured Australians, whose name is Katie, told the ABC in Australia that he has been in touch with her mother.

''There had been an accident last night at Koh Samui; her daughter and a number of others were taken to hospital,'' he said.

''Her daughter has back injuries and there's one girl who has brain injuries.

''Her father is on a plane to Thailand now and obviously her mother is spinning like a top trying to work out what to do next.''

On PHUKET, 10 Burmese laborers had a narrow escape after they were surrounded by fire in a large blaze at a shack camp in Phuket City.

The fire broke out among corrugated iron shacks in a camp opposite the SuperCheap retail outlet in Thepkasattri Road about 4.30pm.

Five fire trucks put out the blaze. Nobody was hurt. The fire was blamed on faulty electrics.