This is the moment kind locals banded together to rescue a puppy that was stuck under a drain cover in Thailand.

Prayut Kluenuttayangkul, 67, was exercising near a market in Chon Buri's Sattahip district on February 23 when he heard the dog's cries coming from under the pavement.

The retired naval officer went back to his home to fetch a crowbar and together with other residents, they pulled up the concrete lid, revealing the three-month-old pooch hiding inside the sewer pipe.

A man climbed down the dirty hole and carried the pup out to safety. The relieved mutt was seen nuzzling up to its rescuers to seemingly show its gratitude.

Prayut said: 'This dog must have been abandoned by its previous owner a couple of days earlier before it fell into the drain.'

The rescuers named the puppy Boonrawd, which means 'fortunate survivor' in Thai.