A German couple were injured in a six-car collision while on holiday in Thailand.

Tourist Norbert Gnieser, 83, was driving a rented car with his wife Angelika, 50, in the passenger seat when he allegedly cut across traffic at a U-turn in Phetchaburi province on January 6.

The sudden crossing triggered a pile-up involving five other vehicles, as the pensioner, who suffers from an underlying medical condition, was left unable to move in his seat.

Rescue teams rushed to the intersection, where they found Norbert inside the car, clutching his chest.

Groaning in pain, he was lifted onto a rescue board while medics helped his limping wife into an ambulance. Both were taken to Cha-am Hospital for treatment.

Nearby was the carnage of five other vehicles, including an overturned pickup truck with its windscreen shattered.

The driver, Thanaphat Ruerang, was miraculously unharmed.

He said: 'When I reached the accident site at the U-turn on the southbound lane, I braked and drove left to slow down. Another pickup beside me also braked at the same time.

'Suddenly, the tourist's car cut into my lane at close range. Because I was driving a heavy vehicle, I couldn't stop in time.'

The pile-up caused traffic congestion that stretched for severalmiles. While officers were cordoning off the scene, two more 10-wheeler trucks collided nearby.

Traffic police said they spent an hour clearing the area before normal traffic flow was restored.

Residents said the U-turn sees frequent accidents, and urged authorities to find a solution.

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.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools, along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.