This is the nerve-wracking moment a gargantuan king cobra tried to slither through a family's patio door.

Police officer and homeowner Rotchanus Khantakom spotted the 14ft snake probing his home in Trat, southern Thailand, on April 30.

Footage shows the reptile attempting to enter the room where Rotchanus and his cat were cowering inside, desperate for the serpent to leave.

He called the rescue team to catch it, but they failed as it had escaped through the drain.

Rotchanus said: 'That was the first time the snake came to my house. So, I was shocked. And my cat was, too. Plus, I had never seen such a huge snake before.

'I could tell it was a cobra by the shape of its hood. They are very dangerous.'

Researchers found that 7,000 people are treated for snake bites each year in Thailand. Suchai Suteparuk from the Division of Toxicology at Chulalongkorn University reported that 30 of those die, with cobras being the biggest killer.