A Buddhist monk in northeastern Thailand showed extraordinary Zen-like calm as a long snake slithered over to him on 27 July.

The green tree snake, which appeared to be an Oriental Whip snake, slithered quickly along the ground, over a chair, and finally up a supporting pole of the wooden platform on which the man was sitting.

Finally the man was spooked when the reptile got within striking distance and appeared to react as the orange-robed monk reached out to it.

Onlooker Tum Jikkew said: "I saw two snakes all tangled in one of the temple’s trees but one of them later crawled all the way to where the monk was sitting."

The snake was calm and did not hurt the startled monk. They then released it back into a forest in the area, in Yasothon province.

A green tree snake shocked a Buddhist monk relaxing on a hut when it slithered next to him.

Footage shows the reptile crawling on the pole and into the bed where the orange-robed monk sat in Yasothon province, northeastern Thailand.

Onlooker Tum Jikkew said: ‘I saw two snakes all tangled in one of the temple’s trees but one of them later crawled all the way to where the monk was sitting.’

The snake was calm and did not hurt the startled monk. They then released it back into a nearby forest.