Stunned passengers froze with fear as a hungry wild elephant rummaged through a pickup truck in search of food.

Five kids were sitting in the back of the vehicle and three more inside when the jumbo emerged on a road in Chachoengsao province, Thailand on January 30.

Driver Ann Anusa pulled over to avoid startling the animal but could only watch as it began walking up to the children seated in the back.

The elephant then reached for the fruit bag and ate everything before leaving the spot - to the relief of those onboard the truck.

Ann said: ‘I wanted to go down and give the children a big hug. It was scary, but we had to park because there are chances that the elephant may get upset when the car engine starts and hurt the kids.’

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild but there is often conflict when they come into contact with humans on roads and in villages. A similar number of elephants are kept captive where they work in zoos and are hired out for religious festivals and weddings.

Conservationists even believe that some elephants have even evolved to prefer food from humans driving passing cars over the jungle food.

Staff from the country's National Park - the sprawling area of woodland where wild elephants roam freely - believe the animals have changed their behaviour in response to the food readily available from humans.

Plucking food from homes and cars is easier for them and they are often attracted by the smell and sight, conservation officer Supanya Chengsutha said.