This is the dramatic moment four people who were trapped in a shophouse fire were rescued on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The residents were on the second floor when a fire broke out near the kitchen of the ground floor restaurant in Samut Prakan early this morning.

Four were trapped as the flames raged through the stairway, blocking their exit.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene, where they found smoke billowing out of the three-storey building.

Footage shows the officers assisting locals down a stepladder. They spent 15 minutes dousing the blaze, which had burnt electrical appliances and parked motorcycles and bikes at the scene.

Two men and two women who suffered smoke inhalation were taken to the Samut Prakan Hospital.

A fire department spokesman said: 'The cause of the fire remains under investigation and we will interview the tenants to determine the exact cause. We suspect it was caused by an electrical short circuit.'

Housing estate president Watcharee Phanjaitham said neighbours initially battled to put out the fire using extinguishers, but it grew rapidly.

She said: 'Four people were unable to escape due to the fire burning the stairway. A firefighter had to climb to the second floor a neighbour brought the ladder to help evacuate them.'

Fires in Thailand are commonly caused by aging electrical infrastructure, extensive use of wood in construction, and regional heatwaves that can exacerbate fire risks. Rapid fire response can also be hampered in densely packed neighbourhoods where narrow streets can delay firefighting efforts.