A Thai security guard in Phuket ended up needing hospital treatment after being bitten by a highly venomous king cobra—moments after capturing it with his bare hands.
The shocking encounter unfolded in Kamala yesterday afternoon, August 20, when the guard bravely bagged the enormous reptile. But his moment of triumph quickly turned sour when the cobra lashed out and sank its fangs into his hand.
The man, whose name has not been released, was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town for urgent treatment. His hand was already visibly swollen from the bite, but reports suggest he is expected to make a full recovery.
Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation in Patong were called to the scene, accompanied by well-known local snake handler Vincent “Vinnie” Modell, better known online as the “Snake Guy in Phuket.”
The massive serpent, secured inside a black bin bag and placed into a plastic tub, was transported back to Patong where it was later inspected and its condition assessed.
According to Modell, the snake was one of the largest he’s seen in recent months—estimated to be between 3.5 and 4 metres long and weighing nearly 5 kilogrammes, reported The Phuket News.
“It was very defensive. King cobras normally don’t instantly open their mouths to bite; they usually give fake strikes first. This one was highly agitated. In the three to five minutes it was being checked and bagged, it attempted more than seven bites on me.”
Modell stressed that while the guard showed immense bravery, handling snakes, especially king cobras, is incredibly risky and should be left to trained professionals.
“I would expect a full recovery, but please be careful when trying to catch snakes. It can go very quickly wrong.”
King cobras are the world’s longest venomous snakes and can deliver a potentially lethal dose of neurotoxin in a single bite. Encounters with the species, while rare, are not unheard of in Thailand—particularly during the rainy season when snakes are more active and venture into populated areas.
The story Bitten by bravery: Cobra strikes back in Phuket as seen on Thaiger News.
