Police have rescued an alleged drug dealer who hid in a freezing lake overnight to evade arrest.

The Narcotics Control Board officers were intercepting a methamphetamine delivery to a suspected drug den when one of the suspects ran out of the building and plunged into the water during the raid on October 5 in Phichit, northern Thailand.

Natchanon Pattarachornkool, 25, obscured himself behind tall grass and rafts of lotuses as authorities surrounded a 12-kilometre length of the lake to cut off his escape route.

The search was suspended due to poor visibility, but heavy rain soon battered the area the following morning.

Unable to endure the frigid temperatures, Natchanon finally moved out of his hiding spot and was spotted by the cops surveying the lake with a drone on October 6.

The exhausted shirtless man was pulled onboard a rescue boat, where police warmed him up and gave him water. He was later transported to Bangkok for further questioning.

Police Lieutenant Sarawut Paophet, Deputy Superintendent of Mueang Phichit, said: 'The culprit was found to be Mr Natchanon Pattarachornkool, 25 years old, a resident of Yap Hua Na Subdistrict, Wiang Sa District, Nan Province.

'He was wearing only a pair of shorts and he was suffering from the cold. His body was covered with scratches from tree branches and grass blades.

'He was freezing and exhausted, and his hands were very pale from floating in the water. His details have been recorded with the Narcotics Control police before he was hauled to Bangkok.'

Police said 6.7 million methamphetamine pills inside 24 sacks were also seized during the raid.