A bedridden grandmother was rescued from a sinking houseboat on a river in Thailand.

The pensioner, Chao, 85, was resting in her home - a wooden boat converted into a dwelling - when the bilge pump broke, causing it to take on water from the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya province on June 11.

Footage shows the shabby floating shack sinking into the water while Chao lay in bed with only her head above the surface.

Passengers on a passing tour boat noticed the structure tilting into the river with the elderly woman still inside, and called her neighbour Sanan Sukprom, 64, for help.

Sanan, who lives along the riverbank, rowed on a boat toward Chao's house and carried her to safety.

However, as the woman had swallowed a considerable amount of water, Sanan called medics to take her to a hospital.

He said: 'Her boat sank because the pump failed and water leaked into it. Chao is lucky she didn't drown. The circuit breaker also protected her from being electrocuted.'

Residents in the area said Chao had been living on the boat for more than 40 years with her two daughters, who both allegedly had memory problems.

Her husband lives in a separate home with their son.

Chao is now out of danger and was recovering at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital.