Tourists ran screaming from a tour bus after it was engulfed in flames while crossing an expressway in Thailand.

The bus had picked up 15 Polish tourists from the Bangkok Palace Hotel to take them to Ayutthaya province when a blaze erupted in the vehicle's luggage compartment on June 7 morning.

Footage shows terrifying clouds of black smoke rising from the Sirat Expressway near the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal train hub as the fire tore through the bus.

Traffic chaos ensued as firefighters tackled the flames. The fire was extinguished in 20 minutes, with all 15 tourists, the Thai guide, and the driver safe. However, the bus had been completely destroyed.

Driver Kuanchit Kaewmanee, 46, said: 'I smelled something burning and noticed smoke coming out from the luggage compartment, so I rushed to evacuate the passengers. We tried to retrieve all of their baggage, but the fire was spreading rapidly so we had to leave some belongings behind.'

Police Colonel Parin Chanlert, the superintendent of Expressway Police Station 2, said: 'The bus has been cleared from the scene, though traffic may still take time to normalise. We are deciding how to dispose of its burnt remains.

'This bus is privately-owned and caters to tourists. It is not a regular interprovincial bus.'

He added that no charges have been filed as investigations were underway.

Officers believe that a malfunctioning gadget stored in one of the tourists' bags had sparked the fire. The exact cause is still being determined.

Tourists ran screaming from a tour bus after it was engulfed in flames while crossing an expressway in Thailand.

The bus had picked up 15 Polish tourists from the Bangkok Palace Hotel to take them to Ayutthaya province when a blaze erupted in the vehicle's luggage compartment on June 7 morning.

Footage shows terrifying clouds of black smoke rising from the Sirat Expressway near the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal train hub as the fire tore through the bus.

Traffic chaos ensued as firefighters tackled the flames. The fire was extinguished in 20 minutes, with all 15 tourists, the Thai guide, and the driver safe. However, the bus had been completely destroyed.

Driver Kuanchit Kaewmanee, 46, said: 'I smelled something burning and noticed smoke coming out from the luggage compartment, so I rushed to evacuate the passengers. We tried to retrieve all of their baggage, but the fire was spreading rapidly so we had to leave some belongings behind.'

Police Colonel Parin Chanlert, the superintendent of Expressway Police Station 2, said: 'The bus has been cleared from the scene, though traffic may still take time to normalise. We are deciding how to dispose of its burnt remains.

'This bus is privately-owned and caters to tourists. It is not a regular interprovincial bus.'

He added that no charges have been filed as investigations were underway.

Officers believe that a malfunctioning gadget stored in one of the tourists' bags had sparked the fire. The exact cause is still being determined.