This is the dramatic moment a girl hung from a Ferris wheel gondola as it took her to the top of the ride - before she plunged 25ft and survived.

The curious toddler Kanchaya Phoyen, 3, was standing at the bottom of the ride watching it go around before grabbing one of the metal bars.

With surprising strength, she held on as it rotated and reached the top when the operator heard her calling for help.

CCTV footage shows how within a second, she then plunged to the ground but her fall was cushioned by striking one of the gondola roofs on the way down.

Miraculously, she survived the plunge at the Liab Duan Market in Ramintra, Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday night, April 15.

Kanchaya, the daughter of a mechanic at the fairground, was treated at the local hospital for cuts and bruises and she has since been discharged.

Paramedic Paitoon Saithong, who took the youngster to hospital, said: 'The Ferris wheel is quite high. She is very lucky to survive such a fall. She had cuts on her head and there was a lot of blood, so she was scared but the injuries were not serious. She was not unconcious.'

Police said they were not taking any action against the ride owners and the parents had not made a complaint. They warned parents to keep an eye on their kids at fairgrounds.

Police Colonel Prapas Kaewcheed, superintendent of the Khok Khram Police Station, said: 'The incident was not reported to the police but were told about the situation and looked into it. We later learned that the girl is recovering.

'When we checked, we found that she climbed onto the Ferris wheel herself. There was nothing that the ride operator could do to prevent the accident. The parents accepted responsibility.

'I hope this serves as a lesson to parents to always keep a close eye on their children.'