A massive king cobra was caught hiding under a bedroom wardrobe in a family's home in southern Thailand.

The 12ft snake sparked panic when it slithered into the single-storey house in Yala province on August 21.

Terrified residents notified Animal lover Phatcharin Prathummek, head of the Betong Animal Lover Club, who then called local snake catchers after seeing the venomous serpent's head sticking out from under the piece of furniture.

Volunteers carefully searched the room before locating the cobra under a wardrobe. After a tense 10-minute struggle, they managed to pin down the reptile, which had a visibly swollen belly from a recent meal.

Officers said the cobra weighed 22 pounds (10 kilos). They bagged it to be released into the wilderness.

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.