This is the incredible moment a fearless snake catcher wades through an underground pipe to catch a huge king cobra.

Terrified neighbours noticed the 13ft long reptile in the drainage ditch next to the housing estate in Krabi, southern Thailand, last Sunday (October 13) morning.

But when the local rescue team arrived, the elusive serpent had disappeared back inside its hiding place.

The brave snake catcher ventured into the dark pipe and waded through the ankle-deep muddy water - risking being bitten in a surprise attack by the highly venomous snake which can kill with a single strike.

The team spent more than an hour searching for the chunky snake before it appeared - then made a get-away for a second time.

He eventually managed to 'charm' the king cobra and gently usher it out into the open before grabbing it and lifting it out of the water onto dry ground.

Speaking today, the snake catcher said the cobra weighed around 15kg and was one of biggest the team from the Krabi Pitak Pracha foundation had caught this year.

Panya said: ''This was quite a difficult mission because of the small space and the water. I couldn't see where the cobra was but I just had to trust my instincts to find it.

''It's true that if the snake had been more aggressive, there would be nowhere for me to run to in such a small space.

''However, I was confident in my experience and knew that I would catch the snake successfully in the end.''

Residents cheered when the snake emerged. It was put into a sack and driven away to be released into the jungle far away from homes.