A terrified beautician ran for her life when a deadly cobra slithered through the front door of her salon.

Natchaphapa Donsangrawee, 44, was preparing to open her shop for the day when the venomous reptile emerged in the entrance, which was only a foot away from her in Songkhla province, Thailand on October 30.

Footage shows the startled hairstylist leaping onto the sofa and fleeing through the door with her arms flailing.

Natchaphapa called a neighbour for help, who helped drive the snake out of the builsing by using a long bamboo pole.

She said: ‘The snake made my beauty job much harder. Now, I always check the door in case it returns. It still gives me the chills. The snake could have bit me if I didn't see it first.'

Natchaphapa's friend helped search for the reptile under the tables and cabinets before he successfully pushed it out of the door.

It slithered away from the shop, with curious onlookers running away too when they saw the snake. It was unhurt, and the sighting was reported to authorities.

Animal catchers arrived to look for the snake but it had already dissapeared into nearby bushes.

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.