A truck was engulfed in flames when an old iPhone battery reportedly inside exploded in Thailand.

Truck driver Thanachai Sri-inkham was transporting old mobile phone parts, and had pulled over at a fuel station in Nonthaburi province to buy a drink on November 1.

However, he was alarmed when he clouds of smoke coming out of the back of the truck.

The quick-thinking driver moved his vehicle away from the fuel pumps, then sought help from station attendants to douse the flames. They used a hose and extinguished the fire in 10 minutes.

Fuel station employee Suphon Wandee, 45, said: 'The truck had stopped in front of a coffee shop near the restrooms. We saw there was a cloud of smoke coming from the back of it. At that time, the driver saw that he was in a dangerous position surrounded by flammable fuel pumps, so he hurriedly drove out and parked at the entrance of the gas station.

'My co-workers and I brought fire extinguishers to help put out the fire, then used water to spray it until it was under control.'

Police later arrived for an inspection, and found sacks of old gadget components burnt on the back of the truck. Thanachai said he had been delivering them to sell at a factory.

There were no injuries, but much of Thanachai's cargo had been burnt to a crisp.

He said: 'The fire may have been caused by a spark from the phone batteries. They may have generated heat due to the hot air and friction inside the truck.'