A meter reader was rescued after falling into a 100ft-well infested with cobras in Thailand.

The utility worker named Tum stood on the rotten wooden lid of an artesian well while searching for the electricity box to issue a bill for the home in Phichit province.

But Tum screamed as the cap gave way from his weight, seemingly by accident, and he plunged to the bottom of the shaft on March 22.

The meter reader broke both of his legs from the impact and when tried to sit up he came face-to-face with a deadly cobra lurking in the muck.

Miraculously, Tum managed to keep his cool and avoid being bitten by the angry snake, which packs enough venom to kill an adult in under an hour.

A homeowner called the local rescue team after hearing Tum shouting for help. Volunteers soon arrived at the scene and threw a wooden stick to help the terrified man ward off the cobra.

Footage shows a rescue officer being lowered down the well using a crane. He helped Tum grab onto the pulley, and both men were winched out of the narrow well.

Tum was rushed to the Bang Mun Nak Hospital for treatment.

He said: 'I was standing on the wooden cover to get a better view of the meter, but it gave way beneath me. I am lucky to still be alive after both the fall and the cobra encounter.

'When I saw the snake I tried to stay as calm as possible. I knew it would bite me if it was scared, so I didn't make a sound and tried not to move my body. I took a picture of the snake so anyone would know what had happened if it attacked me.

'I was carried up and I was in pain but I told the family I would come back to check their meter again next week.'

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.

A meter reader collects data from utility meters for electricity, gas or water to track consumption and ensure accurate billing.