A hiker was rescued after 'spending five days trapped in a cave' in Thailand.

Takwa Wananiwet, 47, was walking through mountains near his home in Tak province but sparked concern among his relatives when he failed to return home.

Authorities launched a search operation after receiving a report from the family that Takwa had been gone for around five days.

They scoured the woods and found the resident miraculously alive after falling down a 33ft cave at the edge of Khae Rakee Village on November 4.

A rescue team tried to abseil down the cave's mouth to rescue Takwa, but he was dehydrated and became 'paranoid and confused' and ran away from them.

As night was falling, they had to suspend the rescue mission and leave behind some provisions for the uncooperative villager instead.

Officers resumed the following morning, and worked with haste due to cold temperatures.

Colonel Ongart Samphan, chief of the 35th Ranger Forces Regiment, said: 'Fortunately, Mr Takwa, after eating and drinking water, regained consciousness and was able to interact with the rescue team until the officials were able to rappel down and rescue him. He was successfully pulled up from the bottom of the cave.'

Takwa was given first aid and was taken to a hospital, where doctors were monitoring his condition.

The now-lucid local claimed he had several health conditions and had fallen into the cave when he was disoriented from not taking his medications.