A wild monitor lizard lead reptile catchers on a chase through the neighbourhood after breaking into a terrified family's house.

Preecha Chaisuwan, 58, called the emergency services after seeing the lizard in his living room in Udon Thani, northeastern Thailand last Tuesday afternoon (April 28).

The stubborn animal made the rescue team run from door to door in the neighbourhood as they chased after it.

Footage shows how it escaped from the first house then hid behind a clothes rack in the next property. When they tried to approach the lizard, it wriggled and ran away again to the nextdoor neighbour's home.

The rescue team tried to call the house owner Punyanuch Chanaphalertwut, 48, to open the gate for them but she was too scared so she threw a key instead.

They unlocked the door to finally catch the 4ft long Asian water monitor lizard, which is believed to have ventured out from a nearby canal in search of food.

One of the rescuers said it was a hard chase as the serpent was big but quick. He said: "I have caught some smaller monitor lizards and it was easier than this. This one is bigger than I have ever caught but it was also so quick it could outrun us."

The resident whose home the lizard invaded, Punyanuch, believes that the appearance of the reptile is a sign of good luck.

She said: "Last night I dreamed that there were tons of gold and money in my house, then today the monitor lizard had entered. I think this is a good sign."

The monitor lizard will be released back to the wild away from the villages.