A wild elephant was seen emerging from a forest and approaching a road during a rainstorm in Thailand.

Footage shows the jumbo named Plai Phi Diao appearing from a dense patch of trees and vegetation along the highway in Nakhon Nayok province.

The massive animal slowly ambled toward the pavement as a car carrying a family of tourists passed by.

Despite the heavy downpour, Plai Phi Diao calmly crossed to the other side of the road where several vehicles were parked.

Some visitors, seen walking with umbrellas, looked on as the tusker made its unexpected appearance in the area on June 2.

Mum Irada Thongsaeng said: 'Went to Pha Trom Jai on a rainy day. As I was about to reverse the car into a parking space, we saw Plai Phi Diao walking. He came out to greet the people.'

Thailand has up to 3,500 elephants in the wild. The population has been increasing in recent years, but it is still a fraction of the estimated 300,000 wild elephants that lived in the country at the beginning of the 20th century.

The main threats to wild elephants in Thailand are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans.