This is the dramatic moment a huge tree fell onto a car moments after the driver climbed inside.

The motorist was holding a purple umbrella as he battled against the roaring wind and heavy rain during an afternoon storm in Krabi, southern Thailand on July 9.

Dashcam footage from the vehicle behind shows how the man was about to set off. However, a massive tree that locals said was more than 50 years old came crashing drown.

The massive branches landed on the roof of his black Toyota but the weight was spread evenly and the larger trunk did not make contact so the metal did not cave in. He emerged from the vehicle and crawled to safety.

Onlooker O-da, who had stopped in his car while waiting for the storm to pass, said: 'My heart stopped when I saw the tree falling down. I was relieved that the drive was not hurt.'

Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines are at the start of their tropical monsoon rainy season, which lasts until late November.

Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods which cause rivers to flow faster and become dangerous.

Many of the under-developed nations struggle to cope with the heavy rain due to chronic under-investment infrastructure and high levels of corruption funnelling away public funds away from projects such as roads and drainage.

Thailand was ranked 110 out of 180 on Transparency International's 2021 Corruption Perception Index. Denmark, Finland and New Zealand were ranked joint first place while South Sudan was bottom.