A museum in Thailand is housed inside a massive three-headed ELEPHANT statue the size of a 14-storey building.

The Erawan Museum, in Samut Prakan province 25 kilometres south of Bangkok, towers above surrounding roads with intimidating three-headed jumbo.

Hundreds of ancient Buddhist artifacts are housed inside the beast but the museum is best known for its unique copper exterior.

The statue is 143ft-tall on top of the 49ft-high pedestal and weighs 250 tonnes.

Other pieces for exhibit are displayed inside the museum such as relics of the Buddha and Buddha statues.

Old Chinese vases from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China, Malaysia and other European ceramics can also be found inside.

Late businessman Lek Viriyaphan, who was passionate about collecting the antique relics, built the museum to display his rare collection in 1994 and opened it to the public.

He ordered the statue to be based on the three-headed elephant Erawan from Thai mythology.

Apart form Erawan, Lek also built two other ancient museums in Samut Prakan and the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya.