Three trapped kittens were rescued from a car engine amid the sweltering heat in Thailand.

The trio were discovered crying in the engine compartment of driver Pradit Kaimook, 40, in Chanthaburi on April 20.

Pradit said he and his family were driving to Trat when they heard the moggies meowing somewhere in the vehicle. He then parked his sedan on the roadside and flagged a passing police officer for assistance.

Video shows Police Senior Sergeant Major Amnuay Tankhong of the Highway Police reaching into the car's machinery to pluck the stranded litter and carry them to safety.

He said: 'I thought the family asked me to pull over because their car had broken down. I did not expect that we would instead find kittens inside the engine compartment.'

Pradit added: 'We heard the sound of the cats just after reaching the intersection, so we pulled over and opened the bonnet. That's when Officer Amnuay happened to be passing by, so we called him for help.

'I have no idea how the kittens got inside since we don't have any cats. I assume they were strays. Officer Amnuay said he thought we'd broken down and just stopped to help. Thankfully, we heard them in time, or the kittens would have died from the heat.'