This is the terrifying moment a truck loaded with gas cylinders smashed into a toll booth in a drink driving incident in Thailand.

Dashcam footage shows the six-wheeler appearing to speed up as it approached the Bang Kaew 1 Toll Plaza in Samut Prakan, just outside Bangkok, on Sunday evening.

It ploughed straight into a concrete road barrier while swerving to switch lanes, causing canisters of carbon dioxide gas to fall and leak.

Emergency services arrived and found the driver, Phaitoon, 57, trapped in the truck's cabin. He was said to have reeked of alcohol as they extracted him from the wreckage using metal cutters.

A police spokesman said: 'Aside from CO2 gas tanks, there were also cooking gas cylinders leaking. Rescue workers had to clear the fallen tanks to secure the area and reopen traffic. Police have co-ordinated with the hospital to conduct a blood test on the driver to determine his alcohol level and proceed with legal action accordingly.'

Phaitoon allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol before his trip home. He claimed he 'had no idea' how he arrived at the toll plaza, which was nowhere near his intended route.

A female toll booth worker said she was counting money at the register when she saw the truck barreling towards her.

She said: 'I knew I wouldn't make it out in time, so I just dropped to the ground and hid under my desk. I made the right choice because a gas cylinder came flying into the booth and landed next to me.'

A sedan driver Pakorn Khucharoen said the crash occurred as he was returning home to Nakhon Pathom.

He said: 'When I was about to enter the toll plaza, another vehicle suddenly cut in front of me and nearly hit my vehicle, so I had to honk. Then, right before my eyes, it drove straight ahead and crashed into the booth.'

Authorities said they were waiting for Phaitoon's blood alcohol results before pressing charges.

Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in Asia, Thailand suffers from chronic underinvestment in its highways and education, contributing to its poor road safety levels. Only a handful of African countries are worse.

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.