A couple miraculously survived being attacked by thousands of wild bees sent into a frenzy by raging forest fires.

Pruan Punta, 73, and his wife Saisuda Kwai-aun, 53, were sitting under a mango tree in front of their home in northern Tak province, Thailand when a cloud of an estimated 10,000 angry bees descended.

The devil insects began divebombing the terrified pair while stinging them all over their bodies.

Pruan jumped into the nearby Ping River to avoid the stings, but his less fortunate wife, who suffered partial paralysis, was unable to escape and had to face the brunt of the bees' wrath.

With the crazed swarm still following him, Pruan emerged from the water and ran to his neighbour's house 500 metres away where he called for help.

Rescuers had to don motorcycle helmets and protective PPE suits leftover from the pandemic before bundling the pair into an ambulance. Bizarrely, the bees ignored them completely and continued assaulting the couple instead.

They were rushed to the nearby Ban Tak Hospital for treatment, where doctors had to pull out dozens of stingers embedded painfully in the couple's faces.

Speaking to local media on Thursday, Saisuda said: 'The bees stung me mostly in my face in limbs. It hurt but I couldn't do anything since I couldn't run away.

'I tried to crawl away from the mango tree towards our house.

'The pain was intense. I just remember fainting and I couldn't move. I can

The pensioners have been discharged from the hospital and returned home but they are both afraid of the bees returning.


Husband Pruana added: 'I'm thankful to the rescue team for their swift response. My wife could have died if she did not receive treatment in time.'

It is believed the swarm had been driven towards the residential area after recent forest fires burned their natural habitat in northern Thailand.

Fires caused by out-of-control agricultural burning have been raging this week in the Doi Soi Malai National Park on the Thanon Thong Chai mountain range, damaging trees and bushland.

Wildlife rescue worker Apirak Phunuan, who attended the scene, said he believes the change in the climate and the smoke has caused the bees to behave differently.

He said: 'The fires have forced the bees out of their hives in the woods. This kind of incident is very rare. It's not normal for the bees. They became aggressive because of the flames and smoke.'