This primary school teacher was hailed a hero - after braving monsoon rains, landslides and fallen trees to arrive on time for his pupils.

Nopparat Surakwaw, 31, set out for lessons on Monday morning despite the mountainous region of Chiang Mai, Thailand, being battered with deadly storms.

The brave bachelor was battered with rain as he ploughed up a muddy mountain track before pushing his Honda moped over collapsed tree branches. He even had the added hazard of landslides from the steep slopes - and dead animals on the slopes showing how dangerous it can be.

His morning commute to the remote school with traditional hill tribe youngsters has been made more difficult by torrential monsoons and the start of the country's rainy season. But despite the obstacles, dedicated Nopparat arrived at the Ban Bai Na School in the Om Koi district in time to begin lessons at 8.30am with his class of seven-year-olds.

He said: "This was a rough journey. I'm happy that people have praised me for showing dedication and determination to reach my pupils on time. They would have been sad if I wasn't there to teach them. If they can get to school, I should also be able to.

"There are many more teachers who are just as dedicated to caring about their pupils. There are many who have to go up mountains to reach schools in the rural areas. But I hope that this will be an inspiration for others, to value giving the young children an education every day, to the best of our ability."