This is the dramatic moment a market raft collapsed into a canal, sending containers and vending machines plunging into the water.

The platform at the popular tourist attraction, the Wat Sai Yai floating market, suddenly tipped into the Khlong Phra Phimon channel in Nonthaburi, central Thailand, early morning on Sunday.

CCTV footage shows several containers toppling over and sliding across the tilting floor as it slowly plunged into the waterway at around 3:15 am.

Vendors arriving later in the morning to set up their stalls were shocked to find the raft half-submerged. They called the local authorities, who immediately cordoned off the area for repairs.

Natthaporn Chankaew, the mayor of the Sai Noi Subdistrict Municipality, said: 'Staff at the nearby Buddhist temple said the raft already had a hole from before. They had to pump out water regularly.

'This time, it sank because the hole had grown larger. It happened at night, so no locals or tourists were around, and no one was injured.'

The raft was used by tourists to feed fish, and had several coin-operated fish food dispensers which were damaged in the incident.

Fish food vendor, Suwat Saenwandee, 60, said he received a call from his friend about the sinking raft.

He said: 'I had a call at around 4 am saying the raft had sunk, and my belongings were affected, so I rushed over to check. I managed to grab some of the fish food that hadn't gotten wet, but it was already too late to save everything.'

Authorities said it would take around three days for the raft to be repaired.