Villagers rescued a newborn stuffed inside a plastic bag and dumped next to a rubbish bin in Thailand.

A passing cyclist heard the baby boy crying near a rubbish dump behind the Ban Nong Pling Mai Temple in Nakhon Ratchasima province on December 7.

He rummaged through the garbage and was shocked to find the blood-covered infant alive but barely breathing as it lay face-down inside a plastic bag.

The local called police and a rescue team, who arrived at the scene to give first aid to the baby.

Volunteer paramedic Pongsatorn Nilpai, 27, said: 'The baby that was found had dried blood stains all over his body.

'We think he was born only two or three hours earlier and was abandoned by his mum, who was not ready to take care of him.

'The baby is safe now and is being cared for by the nurses.'

The foundling was taken to the hospital for further treatment.

Authorities said the area was near the area the Suranaree Industrial Zone, where many blue-collar workers reside. They added that other babies had also been previously dumped in the vicinity.

Police said they were reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing community officials to locate the boy's mum for interrogation and subsequent legal action.

The baby will be taken into care and put up for adoption if police are unable to return him to the mother.