A villager was stung to death by killer wasps while trying to collect valuable honeydew honey in Thailand.

Sittichok Rachsak, 35, had ventured into the forest in Phayao province in the north of the country on August 10 but failed to return home.

His worried family began searching for him but found his lifeless body stuck in a tree on August 11.

They reported the discovery to Mae Chai district police, with rescuers, medics and volunteers rushing to the scene to retrieve Sittichok's body.

The man was still clad in yellow protective gear while he hung limply from a rope around his waist he had been using to climb to reach a nest.

Officers pulled his body and carried it down the mountain on a stretcher. They encountered difficulties due to the rugged terrain, but eventually made it down the slope.

Sittichok's remains were taken to the Mae Chai Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

His devastated wife Srey Rachsak said her her husband had been collecting honey for several years and was experience.

She said: 'I never worried about him because he had done this many times before. This times I think the bees were aggressive.

'Everything he collected we sold together at the market. I still don't know why he died, because he was very experienced.'

Honeydew honey is collected by several species of wasps. It is sought-after in some parts of Asia because of its medicinal properties.

It contains higher levels of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium and is also a source of antioxidants.