A driver had a lucky escape after lightning struck an overhead cable which exploded in front of his car.

Somchai Sangam, 55 was driving back home in Nakhon Nayok, central Thailand when he pulled over due to the heavy rain on September 28.

A sudden bolt of lightning from a raging thunderstorm struck the overhead black lines and the 20,000 volts wire dropped onto the wet ground in front of his vehicle.

Dashcam footage shows how sparks zipped along the ground before the cable exploded in a terrifying flash of electricity.

Somchai said: "I was startled and I could not figure out what to do next. I feel like I am lucky to be alive.

''If I had stopped a few metres in front, the wires would have touched my car. I would have been fried to death inside the metal.''

After gathering his thoughts, Somchai called the local Electricity Authority to cut the power off and prevent similar accidents from happening.

No one was injured from the incident and a repair team was deployed to fix the power line which cut electricity from nearby houses.

Thailand is in the final throngs of its annual rainy season, which sees regular tropical downpours and thunderstorms, which play havoc with the country's shoddy infrastructure.