This is the terrifying moment a massive king cobra was pulled from a worker's pickup truck.

The venomous serpent slithered into the front wheel well of the vehicle before it was discovered by shocked customers at a shop in Saraburi, Thailand, on April 17.

Truck owner Noom Suebsorsamer, 40, said he was buying construction materials at the store when he noticed a pet dog barking furiously at the front of his car.

Terrified buyers screamed as the reptile then poked its head out and flicked its tongue menacingly from the wheel arch.

Snake catchers arrived after receiving a report. They removed the mud guard to make more space before using a snake clamp to yank the 10ft cobra out from its hiding spot.

Noom said: 'The snake must have come with them from work. I'm a construction worker, and I parked the truck in an area surrounded by forest and mango trees so it probably got in from there. I usually ride my bike back home. I had no idea the cobra was in the truck until I got here. The shop owner told me he saw a snake crawling out from under the car's hood. I was shocked because we'd driven quite far. What if it had come out while the car was moving?'

Shop owner Sawat Singhkod, 47, said: 'I keep a dog here at the shop. As soon as the snake saw it, it quickly slithered inside the truck. It must have been scared. I was shocked! The driver is lucky we found the cobra in time.'

The wildlife rescue team said the cobra was later released into its natural habitat.

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.