A superstitious local held a funeral for a snake that died eating its own tail beside a Buddha statue.

Khanathip Natip, 60, was about to pray at the altar in his home when he saw the tiny reptile coiled in a circle in Phitsanulok, Thailand, on January 27.

He initially thought the serpent had only been sleeping but was shocked to see the other end of its body stuffed in its mouth.

Footage shows Khanathip raising a silver bowl with the dead snake in it. He put eggs and water around the tray to offer to the gods.

He said: 'I was going to pray and hold a ceremony before the Chinese New Year when I saw the snake.

'It was not moving so I poked it but it did not move. It was already dead.'

Khanathip said there were blood stains around its mouth while its body was still soft.

He added: 'I worship the king of Nagas. I had to offer flowers and a prayer for the snake.'

The Buddhist resident said he plans to hold a ceremony for it in his home on January 30 so that his neighbours can also come.

Snakes are cold-blooded and rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature.

If it is too hot, it may become disoriented and confused, leading it to bite and consume its own tail in a phenomenon known as ouroboros behaviour.

Buddhism is the official religion of Thailand, and it is followed by more than 95 per cent of the population.

The King of Nagas refers to a powerful serpent deity in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.