This is the heart-stopping moment an out-of-control oil tanker veered towards a riverside restaurant while it was turning to avoid a barge in Thailand.

The fuel-carrying vessel had swerved to avoid crashing into a cargo barge along the Chao Phraya River in Samut Prakan province on October 8.

However, the sharp turn put it on a collision course with a nearby restaurant next to the water.

Footage shows how the ship approached the store's dining area, terrifying customers who had been eating outside. It stopped short just a few feet away from the patio full of customers.

Restaurant owner Chaloempong Sanrat, 60, said: 'This sort of scary situation happens every one to two years. It's probably because it's a river bend.

'When it tried to avoid the barge, there was another large ship in front of it, so it turned away and came close to my restaurant.'