An eagle-eyed schoolboy kept his classmates from harm after spotting a 5ft long rat snake entering their classroom in Thailand.

The youngsters were busy working when the alert five-year-old boy saw the hungry serpent slithering into the Watbansang School building in Ang Thong province on May 29.

He immediately informed his teacher, who then gathered the pupils outside the room and called reptile catcher Ratha Tapianthong for assistance.

Footage shows brave Ratha grabbing the snake barehanded as it tried to slip away behind baskets and shelves full of toys. Still unequipped, the specialist casually handled and controlled the flailing serpent trying to lunge at her.

She said: 'The snake is a non-venomous oriental rat snake, which is why I wasn't afraid to touch it without tools. It likely entered the building while hunting for frogs in the area.'

The awestruck pupils received a short lecture on how to protect themselves from venomous animals, before the rat snake was hauled away and released into the wild.