This is the terrifying moment a snake charmer had a close call with a king cobra in Thailand.

Chalee Phrakaew, who goes by the stage name ‘Chom Hod Song', was taunting the 13ft snake in front of festivalgoers in Khon Kaen province on December 10.

Footage shows the furious reptile swinging around to lunge at Chalee's crotch as he hopped to dodge its venomous bite.

He said: 'For each show, I perform for just over a minute to keep the snake from becoming too stressed.'

The performance was part of the International Silk Festival and Khon Kaen Red Cross Fair, which was held for 10 days in the province.

Tourists coukd eat at food stalls, interact with giant pythons, browse through various silk products, and enjoy traditional Thai music during the event.

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.