A Chinese tourist crashed while driving a rented minivan in Thailand.

Xu Bocheng, 43, reportedly lost control of the white Toyota Alphard while coasting 'Sin City' Pattaya, on January 21.

The vehicle was said to have slammed into parked cars before flipping over and blocking the road.

Police Captain Puttharak Sonkhamhan of the local police said they received a report at 10:06 pm.

He said: 'The van had lost control and overturned on its side, damaging other cars and making the road impassable. This caused a traffic jam that stretched for several kilometers and lasted more than half an hour.

'Police officers redirected traffic while the obstruction was being cleared. The driver suffered only minor injuries. Rescue workers provided first aid and took him to the hospital.'

An onlooker said: 'I saw the van zigzagging across the road, sometimes about to lurch onto the sidewalk. It then swerved and struck the back of a parked sedan. The van then skidded and flipped over. The locals all helped remove the driver from his seat.'

Officers said a black Chevrolet Cruze was also damaged in the crash. The Turkish driver was unscathed as he had not been inside the vehicle.

Police said they were waiting for alcohol test results before proceeding with legal action against the Chinese driver.

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.