A bungling fisherman accidentally shot himself on his bottom with a spear gun in Thailand.

Sod, 28, was left writhing in agony after the eight-inch harpoon was fired into in his right buttock while he was fishing in Samut Prakan province on March 1.

Medics rushed to the scene after receiving a report at around 4:30 pm. They found Sod's friends surrounding him as he lay face-down on the back of a pick-up truck with the projectile jutting out of his flesh.

The group said they had held the harpoon in place against his thigh to reduce his pain before paramedics arrived to administer first aid.

Sod was rushed to a hospital and successfully had the spear removed.

The relieved villager said he works as a factory employee, and goes fishing to find food for his family on the weekends.

He said: 'I was climbing a tree near a canal to catch fish. However, the spear gun slipped from my grip.

'It hit the ground and discharged the spear straight into my rear. I tried to pull it out by myself, but I was scared I would injure myself further, so I screamed for help.

'Despite what happened, I am lucky I was not fatally shot. I was really scared. I don't think I will be using a spear gun to fish anymore.'

Harpoon accidents sometimes occur in rural parts of Thailand, where villagers use them to go fishing or hunting untrained.

On January 16, fisherman Uthen Khongpetch, 49, was killed after accidentally shooting himself in the face with a harpoon in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Police believe he had fired the harpoon into the water, but it reportedly ricocheted and pierced through his skull.