Video showing 10-month old girl driving car in Thailand sparks outrage

A video, which shows a father allowing his 10-month-old daughter stand on his lap and hold the steering wheel while driving along a main road in Thailand, has sparked outrage.

The viral video shows the little girl gripping the steering wheel, instead of being securely fastened in her car seat. The incident took place in Nakhon Nayok, a province northeast of Thailand's capital, Bangkok.

The 29-year-old father, Teerapat Duangdennakthong uploaded the video, has been criticised on Thai social media for not following road safety regulations. The video even has captions that read, "What are you looking at? I'm learning to drive," or "I'm totally crashing into anyone who's in my way."

The original footage, which has now been removed, was widely circulated on Facebook and YouTube, and was eventually picked up by local media outlets.

Several internet users failed to see any funny side to the video. The Coconut News website quoted the father telling the local Amarin TV that he was surprised at the hurtful reaction to the video. He added that the clip was meant to be a light-hearted post.

"She was sitting on my lap. I didn't force her. She just stood up and touched the steering wheel. People insulted me on Facebook. Some people call us a moron or even a murderer," he said.

Many internet users also used the video to talk about the traffic violations in Thailand.

The country has been ranked the second most lethal in the world after Libya's by the World Health Organization. There are an estimated 24,000 road deaths in Thailand every year.

"That's it right there. No concept at all about how dangerous driving a two ton metal machine can be," one commentator said.

Duangdennakthong admitted being reckless, but argued that he normally put his daughter in a car seat.