A hapless monitor lizard was rescued after its head was stuck in a drain in Thailand.

The creature was trying to climb from the sewers by squeezing through a hole in the concrete structure in Ayutthaya province on September 29.

It was able to fit its head through, but its body was too big for the space, leaving it trapped.

Soon after, a resident saw the lizard struggling to wriggle out and helped remove it.

Onlooker Khun Weerasak said: 'The monitor lizard was in pain, so I had to do something. Seeing it walk back to the wild made me so happy.'

The local called neighbours so they could remove the drain cover together. They tied a belt on the lizard's back and pulled it off while another man pushed its head backwards with a rod.

A hammer was also used to widen the gap in the hole. After a few moments, the reptile was rescued and allowed to roam back into the wild.