A family was rescued after plunging their car into a canal when their GPS led them astray in Thailand.

The family of three was buying supplies for their holiday when their navigation system directed them toward the channel in Trat province on September 2.

Their black sedan drove off the pavement, splashing into the murky 15ft deep canal that was not protected by barriers.

Shocked residents rescued the three drenched holidaymakers before calling the authorities to retrieve the car.

Footage shows rescue teams fishing the black vehicle out of the canal using a crane. Several parts were damaged, while the belongings inside, including a wallet, two mobile phones, clothes, and personal items, were recovered.

The father who had been driving said: 'We were driving from the resort to the market to buy supplies. I turned on the GPS but it sent me down that had many intersections.

'The GPS led me to the edge of the canal without telling me to turn, so the car plunged into the water. Luckily, we managed to open the doors and escape before the car sank. But because we were so shocked, we forgot to take our belongings with us.'

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.