A wild monitor lizard sparked panic in a coffin shop while seeking shelter from the heat in Thailand.

The large reptile emerged from a sewer pipe and wandered into the store in Nakhon Ratchasima province on April 25.

Customers panicked as the beast crawled into the coffee shop and hid itself in a dark corner behind a stack of clay pots.

The shop owner called rescuers, who easily caught the reptile despite its attempts to escape. They hauled it onto their truck and released it into its natural habitat.

The volunteers believe the monitor lizard was seeking shelter from the hot weather outside. They added that locals can call them for assistance in case of other monitor lizard sightings.

Asian water monitor lizards normally live in canals, swamps, sewers and ponds in cities in Thailand. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

The reptiles are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. The Godzilla-like reptiles are also a protected species in the country so their population thrives.