A hostile, five-foot rat snake was caught by volunteers hiding in a resident's trophy cabinet.

The brown reptile with black bands had slithered into the house frightening the owner who was resting in the living room in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on March 17.

He called neighbours for help to catch the creature as it darted up to the home's second floor. However, they failed to find it and had to call the wildlife handlers form the Sawang Metta Thammasathan Foundation for help.

The animal handlers discovered the snake under a table, hiding among several athletics sports trophies which it had knocked onto floor. They poked at it using a pole, with the beast coiling around the tool in retaliation.

The rescuers grabbed the mildly venomous serpent with ungloved hands and caught it within 30 minutes. They released it into the tall grass away from the residential area.

The rescue foundation warned locals to regularly clean their homes - especially canals and home sewage systems - where snakes may take shelter as Thailand's monsoon season approaches.