This is the moment a wild elephant held up drivers in a long traffic jam when it emerged from the forest to walk along a road in Thailand.

Footage shows the jumbo occupying a lane as cars and riders stalled in Nakhon Ratchasima province on October 11.

More than 30 vehicles had to stop while the others backed off to let the enormous creature pass by the forest path.

Park rangers on motorcycles and a pickup truck stood by to control the situation, but most drivers chose to leave and pass by another route.

Motorist Chalida Anne Roopkien said: "The elephant was the boss. It stalled more than 30 cars, and we had to leave because it was unsafe to pass by the bull."

No one was reported hurt in the incident, and the creature eventually left the road at nighttime.

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild where they wander freely among protect forests. However, there is often conflict when they come into contact with humans on roads and in villages.

A similar number of elephants are kept in captivity where they work in the tourist industry or get hired out for religious festivals and weddings. A small number still work in commercial logging.

This is the moment a wild elephant held up drivers in a long traffic jam when it emerged from the forest to walk along a road in Thailand.

Footage shows the jumbo occupying a lane as cars and riders stalled in Nakhon Ratchasima province on October 11.

More than 30 vehicles had to stop while the others backed off to let the enormous creature pass by the forest path.

Park rangers on motorcycles and a pickup truck stood by to control the situation, but most drivers chose to leave and pass by another route.

Motorist Chalida Anne Roopkien said: ‘The elephant was the boss. It stalled more than 30 cars, and we had to leave because it was unsafe to pass by the bull.'

No one was reported hurt in the incident, and the creature eventually left the road at nighttime.

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild where they wander freely among protect forests. However, there is often conflict when they come into contact with humans on roads and in villages.

A similar number of elephants are kept in captivity where they work in the tourist industry or get hired out for religious festivals and weddings. A small number still work in commercial logging.