Fearless snake catcher kisses wild king cobra on the lips

This is the heart-stopping moment a snake catcher kisses a wild king cobra on the lips.

Rescue worker Panya Tulyasuk, 44, and his team caught the deadly reptile after receiving an emergency call in Krabi, southern Thailand, last Thursday (August 8).

They then let the 10ft long serpent loose after taking it to a temple near the organisation's offices.

The group filmed as Panya un-bagged the king cobra which slithered across the concrete ground before going face-to-face with him.

Ice-cool Panya, a father-of-two, held his nerve as he inched closer to the snake and placed his open mouth over the reptile's deadly jaws.

He then gently pushed the snake back in a show of strength to assert his dominance.

Panya said: ''This was a wild king cobra so they can be unpredictable. But it was also very large and beautiful.

''I wanted to perform with the snake, so I let it loose on the ground and gave it a kiss. I think she was a female.

''It takes a lot of practice to understand the movements and body language of the cobras.

''To do this, I have to stay very calm and concentrate a lot while I watch the snake.''