Locals caught a rare two-headed cobra believed to be a lucky omen in southern Thailand.

Nikhom Nhawwanich, 61, found the 1ft-long snake while he was checking his truck parked at the front of his house in Phang-nga province on June 15.

He first thought it was a regular cobra, but was shocked to see it had two heads and two faces split in the middle.

Amazed Nikhom called his neighbours for a second opinion, and the residents told him to bottle the creature as it came 'to give him good luck.'

Surprisingly, the snake obediently slipped into the sizeable glass jar in which Nikhom is now keeping it.

Other locals have also visited him to have a look at the unusual reptile, the likes of which they said they had never seen before.

Nikhom said he will be buying a lottery ticket and using the date of the cobra's visit as his lucky numbers.

He said: 'This snake is so rare and special. I will look after it and keep it as a pet. I believe the cobra will bring good fortune and luck to me. It was sent here to help me.'

The snake with two heads is believed to have a birth defect called bicephaly. The condition happens when an embryo split into identical twins but doesn't;t operate all the way. In humans, this condition results in conjoined twins.

Despite being cute, the cobra still carries a deadly bite with enough venom to kill a human in under an hour. They are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths a year across Southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent.