A snake slithered into a car's engine before being rescued in Thailand.

The reptile was first spotted by a local and his dog as it slinked under parked vehicles outside a shop in Udon Thani, Thailand, on December 28.

It then squeezed into a white Toyota Camry owner by driver Fai, 38, who was having a party at the establishment with her employees.

Footage shows a resident and a pooch searching for the reptile. Animal rescuers arrived and extracted the swift serpent from the Camry's engine.

Fai said: 'Someone saw the snake, so we inspected my car. We opened the snake, and there it was.'

They were unsure what kind of snake it was at first, so the volunteers were careful when opening the bonnet.

They identified the 5ft (2m) serpent as a nonvenomous rat snake and grabbed its tail as it tried to flee.

The snake threatened to bite, but the reptile handlers pulled it onto the ground and secured its neck.

Fai said: 'I believe the snake will bring me luck. I am buying a lottery ticket.'

Ratsnakes are non-venomous species that primarily feed on small mammals such as rodents, which is why they are often considered beneficial to humans for controlling pest populations.