A bizarre set of electricity posts laid in the middle of a road has sparked criticism for posing a potential hazard to motorists in Thailand.

The posts, barricaded by mere pieces of string, are located on a new road leading to a village of 200 homes in the Phan Thong district of Chonburi province.

Residents were concerned that drivers unfamiliar with the area may hit the power poles while making a turn as they stand right next to an intersection.

There were also no lights at the junction, making them even more dangerous at night.

Villager Sorawit Jongsakul, who nearly hit the posts himself, said: 'This area is quite busy. A lot of cars pass through here, so I was surprised by the strange way they were positioned.'

Locals have urged authorities to remove the utility poles, but officials said it was still too early to make changes.

Phan Thong deputy district chief Kanyakorn Kunpornrat said that the path was previously a canal that had only recently been converted into a road.

She said: 'The road has not yet been officially opened, and the drivers may have misunderstood that they could use it.'

The local office added that officials had to wait for the concrete to harden before taking the power poles out of the way.

Suttiwong Winurach, Provincial Electricity Authority manager in the district, echoed Kanyakorn, saying the freshly filled road was still too unstable to support the weight of heavy machinery.

He said: 'We have requested to install three new poles on February 17 to supply power for the village so that these poles could be moved.'