In the second piece of bad news to come out of Thailand this week, an Australian woman has been stabbed to death in an attempted bag snatch on the Thai resort island of Phuket, police said Thursday.

Michelle Elizabeth Smith, 59, suffered a knife wound to her chest after two men on a motorcycle tried to rob her late Wednesday near her hotel in Phuket town, the authorities said.

She was part of a group of tour operators visiting the island. One of her travel companions was hospitalised after suffering a cut to her arm.

"Police are compiling evidence, such as closed-circuit television footage, in which we can see the attackers' faces clearly, to seek court arrest warrants," a Phuket police officer who declined to be named said by telephone.

The death is another blow to Thailand's tourist-friendly image, coming less than a week after two Canadian sisters were found dead in their hotel room on nearby Phi Phi island, showing signs of an extreme toxic reaction.