This is the terrifying moment a massive 14ft king cobra was pulled out from a sewer pipe in Thailand.

The giant snake spooked villagers when it poked its head out from the six-inch diametre pipe near a home in Chonburi province on March 1.

Locals said they had seen the snake in the area a day before, but left it alone thinking it would leave on its own. However, it was still there the following day.

Fearing the cobra would attack some, residents called the emergency services to send a team to remove it.

The wildlife officers first sprayed water into the pipe to loosen it before yanking the cobra's head out using snake poles and hooks. The operation took 30 minutes.

Footage shows how the king cobra measured 14ft long and weighed around 14 kilogrammes.

Rescue team head Paisal Pornnimitsap, 39, said: 'I've caught many king cobras in my work, but this is the biggest one I've seen.'

The reptile 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.