A horror bus crashed killed the driver and six passengers in the early hours of the morning in Thailand.

The coach was carrying 47 passengers from Nong Khai to Rayong when the brakes failed and it smashed into two trucks at around 1:40am.

Flames ripped through the vehicle leaving at least 39 others seriously injured. The driver was crushed to death against the steering wheel and his conductor was also killed from the impact.

Fire crews extinguished the blaze and the injured travelers were taken to hospital in the Nadi district of Prachinburi province near the scene of the crash.

Passenger survivor Naruephon Khamsawang, 54, said that he was sleeping before hearing someone shout that the brakes had malfunctioned.

He woke up and saw the bus swaying left and right in an attempt to avoid a collision before it crashed, causing him to fall headfirst onto the ground. He then scrambled to safety before the inferno.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Siwaphat Phuripatchaiboonchu said the bus was travelling downhill at the time of the crash when it suffered a suspected brake failure.

Authorities found that the bus shunted a 22-wheel white Hino truck, which caused it to crash into a white Isuzu 10-wheel truck and a car. None of the other motorists were injured.

Local council chief Somjai Putthasena said that the road had been closed while officials investigated the crash.

Onlooker Lamsan Phuangphu said that he was driving his truck behind the bus and saw it speeding downhill.

He said: 'The bus was going too fast. The brakes had definitely malfunctioned. I drove slowly and later saw it crash into the truck in front. I pulled over and checked on the passengers.

'I saw injured passengers inside the bus and told them to come outside but a fire later broke out. I realised later that the bus driver had been killed in the accident.'