A snake catcher was sprayed with deadly venom while trying to catch a king cobra in Thailand.

Kriangsak Khangklang, 49, was called to snare the 6ft long beast that had slithered into a house in Ratchaburi province on May 4.

He rushed to the scene before his shift started, bringing only his gloves and a snake pole.

Upon arriving at the home, he found the serpent lying on a broom. He asked a colleague to pin down the creature while he looped a noose around its head.

While doing so, the angry cobra spat a jet of venom right into Kriangsak's face, with most of the liquid burning his left eye.

He dropped to the ground, temporarily blinded by the sharp pain while the other rescuer crushed the cobra's head.

Kriangsak managed to call for an ambulance and was told to irrigate his eyes with clean water while waiting for help to arrive.

He was taken to a hospital and luckily escaped the ordeal with his eyesight intact - though his left eye is still covered with gauze due to stinging.

Kriangsak said: 'I've helped catch more than 100 snakes. In this area, there are commonly king cobras, pythons, and rat snakes. We find king cobras most frequently.

'I didn't have all of my equipment with me since it was an emergency. Normally, I would wear glasses or goggles to protect myself.

'I've learned my lesson and realised the importance of proper preparation. Untrained people should also not try to catch venomous animals like snakes by themselves.'

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.