A crazed pet monkey sparked chaos when it attacked two children in Thailand.

The five-year-old male macaque escaped from its cage and bit the youngsters in a housing estate in Samut Prakan on April 29.

A boy, Phum, 10, needed three stitches on his wrist, while a girl, 16, suffered injuries to her face and arm. Both were taken to a hospital for treatment.

The monkey's owner said she had been keeping the simian, named Mum, legally and had permits to care for him.

She said: 'I've been taking care of the monkey since he was a baby. He has been vaccinated and has regular vet check-ups. I don't know how he escaped twice since no one was home at the time of the attacks.

'Mum is very protective of his things, his owner, and his territory. I normally keep him in a cage, but sometimes I let him out on a leash to play with chickens so he doesn't get stressed. I've raised him and loved him like my own son.'

Phum's mother, Panadda Suwansri, 47, said her son was having a haircut at the barber shop when the monkey stormed in and attacked him.

The furious parent said: 'I was shocked to receive a call from the barber shop telling me to come quickly. It turned out my son was bitten by a monkey, so I rushed there as soon as I could. Luckily, the wound was only minor.'

Panadda urged the local government to have the monkey relocated from the housing estate as 'it is inappropriate to keep a monkey at home'.

She added: 'Even the vet agrees with me. It's scary living here, not knowing when we could be attacked.'

The barber shop owner, 50, said she saw the monkey following Phum into the building and thought the pair were simply playing.

She said: 'I was shocked when it suddenly jumped onto the boy and bit him. I used an umbrella to fend it off, and closed the door when it ran out of the shop. It perched itself on a motorcycle before terrorising the girl next door.'

The monkey's owner has agreed to shoulder the children's medical expenses.

It is legal to have macaques as pets in Thailand, provided the owner registers with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

However, troops of monkeys have become accustomed to tourists feeding them, and have often become aggressive. They are also known to steal food and belongings from tourists.