A hungry wild elephant raided a man’s kitchen to steal food in southern Thailand.

The male jumbo emerged from the forest and wandered inside a villager’s yard near a national park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on September 5.

It then entered the hallway in front of the kitchen before stealing a bag of cat food and escaped as the shocked house owner watched it leave.

No one was reported hurt nor damaged in the incident but the elephant was able to take the man’s pet’s food supply back with it into the forest.

House owner Natthakan Charoendong said: ‘I was relaxing in the living room when I saw the elephant standing in front of the house. It then walked to the back and I followed it.

‘It did not mind me while it searched for food in the kitchen. After spotting the cat food, it grabbed the bag and escaped like a thief.’

A national park officer was called on the scene and guided the elephant back into the forest as it lingered near the property after the incident.

Natthakan added that it was not the first time that the elephant visited his house for food as it returned from time to time whenever it was hungry.

He said: ‘This elephant visits the house every now and then. I guess he was feeling hungry. That’s why he took away the cat food.’

On June 18, a wild elephant named Plai Bunchuay smashed through a kitchen wall to steal food before he was chased away by a terrified couple.

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild but there is often conflict when they come into contact with humans on roads and in villages.