Envision waking up in a hotel room and coming face to face with a king cobra slithering across your bed. This truly does sound like something out of a horror film. However, for two tourists in Krabi, Thailand, who were staying at the time in a hotel, what was horror in their minds occurred when they saw the cobra literally slithering across the bed where they were sleeping.
To make matters worse, the snake crossed the bed as the couple were still in bed sleeping.
One tourist later described their experience on social media platform, stating that the snake had crossed right by his neck as he slept in bed. And just like that, panic hit. The couple quickly got up and out of the room screaming, and looking for help.
The hotel staff quickly contacted emergency services and dispatched professional services quickly.
After inspecting the room, a 1.5 meter long king cobra was found hiding underneath the bed and subsequently captured and removed without incident.
This entire evacuation was captured on video, and went viral on social media with many travelers providing humorous and shocked reactions to the incident.
Some even jokingly suggested that as part of every hotel routine, travelers should check under the bed for snakes before going to sleep.
Tropical forests and natural habitats surround Krabi and as a result, sometimes wildlife comes into contact with humans. There are over 200 species of snakes known to exist in Thailand, approximately 60 of which are venomous.
Many of Thailand’s hospitals report treating thousands of cases of snakebites every year, indicating that encounters with snakes are somewhat common in tropical habitats.
However, finding a king cobra in your hotel room is certainly odd.
Experts say that the best course of action if you should find yourself in that situation is to remain calm. Rather than trying to chase or kill the snake, it is best to back away and call for professional help.
In most cases snakes will avoid humans but will bite if they feel threatened; therefore, remaining calm and gradually backing away from the snake is the safest way to proceed.
This incident also demonstrates an important fact about Southeast Asia; the tropical climate, dense forests and rapid population growth are all factors that conspire to push wildlife closer to people’s homes.
Many times, when the natural habitat has been destroyed by a building project, flooding, extreme heat or other reasons, animals may enter buildings seeking heat or shelter from heat.
People that travelled to Southeast Asia have suggested other simple ways of avoiding problems with snakes: check the room before going to bed; close all doors; and be aware of your surroundings if you are near a forest or a coastal vacation spot.
While it may seem unreasonable or ridiculous, personal experiences such as this one cause many guests to do a double take before booking a hotel.
Hotels are supposed to be safe locations to rest after traveling. However, wildlife can encounter guests at a hotel during traveling as well.
Many tropical vacation locations have beautiful nature and scenery, but there are waiting for wild animals and other surprises to appear without notice as well. Being mindful about your surroundings and being careful will help you stay safe and have lots of fun.
Maybe checking underneath the bed before you go to sleep is not such a terrible idea anyway!
