This is the dramatic moment a wild monitor lizard sparked panic as it attempted to enter a phone shop.

An employee named Karn was about to step out of her stall when the reptile suddenly scurried along the pavement toward the Pro Telecom store in Samut Prakan, Thailand.

CCTV footage shows the woman screaming in fear as the large lizard tried to push its way inside on June 11.

Tum, one of the shopkeepers, quickly grabbed a metal stool to block the entrance while the animal searched for a way in.

After several failed attempts, the monitor lizard eventually gave up and slithered away.

The shop owner said: 'It went back into the drain, so we didn't call an animal rescue team.'

Asian water monitor lizards normally live in canals, swamps, sewers and ponds in cities in Thailand. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

The reptiles are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. The Godzilla-like reptiles are also a protected species in the country so their population thrives.