A passing wild elephant held up frightened drivers and their passengers on a road in Thailand.

Footage shows the lone jumbo occupying an entire lane as vehicles stopped in Nakhon Ratchasima province on July 19.

Driver Anutida Yawporn was visiting the area for a camping trip with her husband inside the car as they calmed each other while the animal walked next to them.

She said: ‘My heart was beating fast when I saw the elephant walking. I was hoping to see the elephant and I saw one. Luckily he was in a really good mood.

‘We could only stop our engines and watch. We didn't dare make a sound because it might scare the elephant.'

There are an estimated 4,000 elephants in Thailand. About half of these live in captivity in animal camps, zoos, and sanctuaries while the remainder are found roaming free in national wildlife parks where they sometimes encounter locals or passing tourists on roads built within the vast lands.