Nineteen schoolchildren were injured when their school bus crashed into a pickup truck in Thailand.

The youngsters were riding the yellow minibus going home after classes when the speeding Toyota Vigo pickup smashed into their vehicle in Nakhon Ratchasima province on August 24.

Rescue crews arrived at the scene and found the bus with its front left side severely damaged. The shocked youngsters sat on the roadside and were given first aid.

Authorities said 35 people were injured, including 19 pupils who suffered minor scrapes and bruises. They were taken to the Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Ratchasima, Saint Mary's Hospital, and Por Phat Hospitals for treatment and were later discharged.

Officers said the bus was driven by Yaris Naenpanao, 57, while the truck was operated by Surasak Kulbootdee, 27, who was also injured.

They said Surasak was delivering goods to various shops in the city, and had been driving at high speed along a bypass road that had not yet been opened by the Department of Highways.

Police said that Surasak would be interviewed once he has been discharged from hospital.

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.