This is the nail-biting moment a woman cried with fear as a wild elephant walked over to her car.

Waratchaya, 19, was driving along the mountain road when the jumbo emerged in Nakhon Ratchasima, northern Thailand, on February 2.

The student pulled over and cut the engine fearing that she would spook the bull.

But despite staying still and hoping the danger would pass, the elephant walked straight over to the saloon.

Nerve-wracking footage shows how the elephant was facing Waratchaya and her boyfriend head-on as it sniffed their vehicle.

The student wept with fear – praying that the elephant would not attack their vehicle like what had happened with several other cases in the area.

However, Waratchaya was relieved when the jumbo turned and walked away to continued its search for food elsewhere.

Speaking after, Waratchaya said: ‘I’ve never been so scared. The elephant was so big when it was close to my car. I was terrified it could attack us.’

The elephant is the national animal of Thailand. An estimated 2,000 elephants are living in the country’s wild and a similar number in captivity. In the wild, they roam through the deep jungle and in the country’s protected national parks.