SONGKHLA — 15 January 2026, A king cobra nearly four metres long was captured after it slithered into a car tyre outside a home in southern Thailand, startling residents and fuelling local lottery speculation.
The incident occurred at the home of 75-year-old Kloem Phutsri, house number 66, in Khlong Kwang subdistrict, Na Thawi district, Songkhla province. The large snake was seen moving in front of the house before being chased by barking dogs, prompting it to hide inside stacked car tyres beneath a small shelter next to the property.
Local authorities called in a volunteer snake-handling team. Thaweesak Boonsed, an officer with the Songkhla Snake Protection Volunteer Unit, was already on duty in the area and rushed to the scene with specialised equipment.
Under the shelter, the team found the king cobra coiled inside the tyre. As the top tyre was moved aside with a hook, the snake raised its head and hissed repeatedly, forcing the handler to proceed with extreme caution. Using a hook to control the snake’s posture, Thaweesak pinned its head before securing it by hand and pulling it clear of the tyres.
The cobra was later measured at 3.83 metres long. It was placed in a sack and prepared for release into a remote forest area far from residential communities.
After the capture, villagers were seen noting the house number, believing it could bring luck in the lottery.