Two-metre wide straw sun hats – big enough to cover the top of a car – have been proving popular during the current summer season in Thailand.

Footage shows a delighted shop owner trying out the bizarre head accessory they were selling at a small store along the road in Sukhothai province this week.

The giant sun hats are made from hand-woven bamboo fibres which takes almost a day to finish each before they are delivered to the souvenir shops.

At 1,600 baht (36.60 GBP) each, they are more expensive than regular-sized hats but customers have been buying them as they protect the entire body from the sun.

Temperatures have soared to 36 degrees Celsius this week and will continue throughout summer until November when the country cools.

Shop owner Worawut In-khamma, 52, believes their product could be one of the biggest hats in the world.

She said: ‘I have never seen a hat anywhere else that is as big as ours. We used to create normal-sized hats but our shop did not get much attention from making something so simple.

‘When we made the hats bigger more people came to our place to buy them. The hat looks great when worn or hung as decorations in restaurants and homes.’

Hand-crafted souvenirs are also available from the shop. They include palm leaf earrings, handkerchiefs, hair clips, mobile phone case, shawls, and bags.