This is the amusing moment a monitor lizard climbed onto an ATM, blocking shoppers from withdrawing cash.

The 5ft reptile reportedly darted across the road before clambering onto the nearby money-dispensing machine in Chachoengsao in eastern Thailand.

Shoppers were left unable to withdraw funds after the creature made itself comfortable on the ATM panel.

Footage shows the beast flicking its long tongue as it clung onto the console.

Some locals tried to drive it away with a wooden stick, but it scrambled back to reclaim its perch. A brave resident later arrived and removed the wild animal, grabbing it by the tail and flinging it into the nearby grass.

The stubborn creature was seen crawling off through the greenery, leaving shoppers to access their funds in peace.

An onlooker said: 'I thought the monitor lizard would never leave. Luckily, someone was brave enough to scare it away. I was impressed because he even used his bare hands and was unfazed by the lizard's aggressive behaviour.'

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.