A drunk driver who was allegedly five times over the legal limit killed at least nine people when he plowed into locals attending an outdoor event in Thailand.

Kiatisak Tiangtrong, 37, had been drinking whiskey with friends when he allegedly been trying to overtake another car when he rammed into residents watching a Buddhist ceremony in Si Sa Ket province on November 25.

CCTV footage shows the vehicle roaring across the road before smashing into the venue.

Kiatisak only suffered minor injuries and reportedly tried to escape in another car but was detained by officers.

Police, rescue volunteers, and medics rushed to the scene, where they found seven people dead and more than 10 injured. Two wounded people were taken to the Praibueng Hospital but succumbed to their injuries.

Twenty motorcycles were also damaged.

Suthep Kam-iam, 50, a shaken resident who recorded the crash on his CCTV camera, said: 'The pickup truck overtook a van while there were a lot of cars passing each other.

'I think the driver must have swerved and lost control of his car because he was going so fast. He crashed into a motorcycle parked next to the temple wall, hitting all the villagers in that area.'

Police Captain Noppadol Inthong of the Praibueng Police Station said: 'The driver underwent an alcohol test which indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.24 per cent. This is above the legal limit of 0.05 per cent.'

Police said the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) in the suspect was 0.24 percent, almost five times the legal limit.

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.