A good Samaritan rescued a rat snake that was found tangled in a net.

The resident noticed the Indochinese rat snake trying to escape from the mesh in his backyard and helped free it in Chaiyaphum, Thailand on December 27.

He used a pocket knife to cut the strings while using a pole to pin it down and stop it from squirming.

The local released the serpent, safe and unhurt, back to its habitat.

Resident Yada Suay said: 'It was caught in the net. It was almost wounded from trying to escape too hard. But it is safe now.'

The Indochinese rat snake, also known as the Oriental rat snake, is native to Southeast Asia. They are non-venomous and rely on constriction to subdue their prey, which includes rats and frogs.