A wild cobra emerged on a road and slithered towards a food shop, sparking panic among workers.

The wild snake slinked under a tree and crossed amid traffic where there was a grilled chicken store in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 16.

Footage shows the venomous reptile making its way across the concrete road. It avoided passing vehicles, but as it neared safety, scared women could be heard screaming.

It was seemingly camouflaged with the tarmac but reached the pavement successfully, avoiding cars and motorcycles before slithering into a drain.

Shop owner Wirach said: 'We were all screaming because we did not what to do. We did not want it to die but we did not want it in our store either.'

One of the employees went outside to check the snake had left as it disappeared into one of the tiny holes on the gutter.

Wirach added: 'We were ready to close the shop and hide inside, but it left.'

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.