Thailand is still an exotic, exciting place, as this story about a pythons in Thai toilets, demonstrates.

A woman was almost killed by a python that came out of her toilet last night. The woman, Rampeung Onlamai, 57, had just finished her shower at her home north of Bangkok when a python emerged from her toilet and attempted to drag her down the drain. The snake sunk its fangs into her right hand and then started pulling her down toward its toilet nest. Rampeung defended herself with a broom and called out for her daughter, who rushed to her rescue and pried the python’s head off her hand. The python then crawled back into the toilet.

Rampeung was admitted to the hospital, where she needed 20 stitches to seal the gash. Samkok district officer Metha Taweekunchai said he’ll order his officers to capture the snake in Rampeung’s toilet so the family can resume using it.

Here’s my friend Vern, from Snakes.org, telling you what to do about a pythons in Thai toilets:

Snakes are common in Thailand. The other day I watched one swim across the river towards me. Snakes are cold-blooded so, when he reached my side he hauled himself (herself?) out onto a giant lilypad into the sun and lay there to warm up. This gave me an opportunity to study it closely and I was amazed and delighted at what I saw. The snake was a brilliant, emerald green with two lines of shiny gold scales running down its back. Though I was close, it seemed quite at ease and took its time before slipping back into the water to complete its journey. I wondered what caused it to undertake such a crossing – probably the equivalent of a mile-long swim for a human – when it could not, I suspect, have known what was on the other side. It also had to elude the big fish that live in the river and will sometimes surface and grab unlucky birds. Ah, Thailand!

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The reptile put up a struggle and tried to bite the men and crawl away, but was captured after 20 minutes. It was taken away in a sack, and officials planned to set it free in a forest. Petrung said he kept fighting cocks to get some extra income, and each one was valued at more than 10,000 baht. Since the middle of August he had lost four – presumably to the snake or other wild animals – together valued at around 100,000 baht.

Big snakes are common in Thailand and throughout SE Asia. A bigger snake than this one has been eating people’s pet dogs at a popular public park in Hong Kong lately, much to the horror of their doting owners. But they do not represent a significant threat to adults, so just enjoy their majestic presence!

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