out of a drain in the town of Krabi.
The snake catcher from the Krabi Pitakpracha Foundation was called in after residents spotted a massive snake on the prowl near a shopping district.
The expert catcher performed a brief ritual for luck before chasing the massive king cobra into a sewer pipe, which was longer than 30 metres.
Video footage of the rescue shows the cobra writhing in water with the snake catcher holding it by the tail.
It took him more than an hour to catch the snake using only his bare hands.
The rescue foundation said the snake was one of the largest they had ever captured.
The king cobra was relocated to a wildlife sanctuary.
King cobras are highly venomous and live mainly in forests and plains in India, southern China and South-East Asia, according to National Geographic.
When confronted they raise their bodies off the ground and flare a hood behind their heads.
They feed mainly on other snakes.
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