A determined angler caught a 100kg catfish while fishing with his friends - then posed next to the giant water beast.

Prachak Kimlai, 20, and his buddies had gone out in rowing boats on the Chao Phraya River in Ang Thong province, central Thailand, after work on September 23.

They cast their lines into the water and around 30 minutes later, Prachak felt a powerful tug on his fishing rod.

When he found he couldn't reel in the fish on his own, he enlisted his friends' help, and the group battled to haul the freshwater leviathan onboard.

Despite their combined efforts, the feisty giant put up a fight and managed to pull the small plastic boat some 300 metres upstream. As passers-by watched the battle unfold, another group of fishermen paddled over to provide assistance.

Prachak said the group took turns holding onto the fishing rod, with the tug-of-war soon turning into a war of attrition lasting around 30 minutes.

When the Mekong giant catfish had finally tired itself out, they dragged the fish out of the water and brought it to shore. The humongous creature weighed more than 100 kilogram and was approximately 6ft long.

Prachak said a local market stall vendor had bought the fish for an unspecified amount, and the profits were divided among the friends.

Mekong giant catfish can grow up to 10ft long and weigh more than 600 pounds bu they are one of the most challenging fish to catch.

They are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and they are 'facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild' due to overfishing, habitat destruction and pollution.