A terrified waitress leapt over the counter after a large king cobra slithered into her bar in Thailand.

Sirirat Matikaopa, 30, was preparing drinks when the venomous snake menacingly approached her poised to strike her leg at the Kai Kon Seafood restaurant in Trat province on February 21.

The shocked young girl wasted no time in escape and climbed onto the serving station and ran for her life.

CCTV footage shows the ruthless reptile - one of the world's deadliest snakes - emerging from beneath the beverage refrigerators as it probed the surroundings with its flared hood.

Wildlife handlers later arrived and had to dismantle the store's floor as the cobra had tucked itself under the panels. It took an hour before it was finally caught.

Sirirat said: 'Before the incident, I was sitting at the shop's counter. Then, I saw the king cobra entering the restaurant and slithering towards me.

'It hissed so aggressively. I was shocked and jumped to escape before calling the rescue team.'

The 13-foot female king cobra was later released into the wilderness.

Researchers found that 7,000 people are treated for snake bites each year in Thailand. Suchai Suteparuk from the Division of Toxicology at Chulalongkorn University reported that 30 of those die, with cobras being the biggest killer.

The number of snake deaths are far higher in the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring Indonesia, where residents face longer journeys to the nearest hospitals.

Experts advise snake-bite victims to remain calm as panic raises the heart rate, which pushes the venom further around the body.