It's not something that makes headlines but it happens so often in this country and there is no law to protect you. Almost every day, people find trespassers in their homes in the form of serpents.
I don't remember how it started but the other day I found myself scrolling through the Facebook page of Bang Khen Fire Station. Guess what? Every day, the page had at least one post about firemen being sent to catch snakes that had invaded homes within the district. On certain days -- such as Sept 30 for example -- there were as many as four cases in the area.
Let me remind you that Bang Khen is an urban part of Bangkok. Moreover, it's not the only district in the city to experience such occurrences. Chatuchak, Suan Luang, Bang Khun Thian and Bueng Kum are among other areas where snakes are frequently found in people's residences. And this is just what the situation is like in the capital. In other parts of the country, it's likely to be worse. On social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, and TikTok, video clips about serpent trespassers can be found easily.
Thailand is home to over 200 species of snakes. In Bangkok, most sightings feature cobras, the green pit viper, pythons, sunbeam snakes, golden tree snakes, red-tailed pipe snakes and the copperhead racer. Most of these are non-venomous. Outside of the big city, the list becomes even more exciting with the addition of the Malayan pit viper, the banded krait, and the world's largest venomous serpent, the king cobra.
I live on the sixth floor of a condo in Nonthaburi. A few years back, I found an Oriental whipsnake -- a species whose mild venom poses no danger to humans -- attempting to get into my home. When I realised that, I tried to catch it but the little fellow, which I believed must have been an escaped pet, fled into an adjacent unit that was unoccupied. I have no idea what happened to it after that. Anyway, perhaps one day you too might get to have such an experience but it may be one of the deadly reptiles mentioned in the previous paragraph.
It's wise to be prepared for such a circumstance. The best thing to do in such a situation is to arm yourself with knowledge. Research common snakes on the internet and you'll soon be able identify them and perhaps understand their nature. For example, some cobras can spray their venom to defend themselves from anyone they deem a threat. From the pattern on the back of a cobra's hood, you can tell whether the snake you spot is a spitting cobra or not. Some non-poisonous species like the copperhead racer and the red-tail pipe snake usually act aggressively when feeling threatened but as soon as they realise you're not scared, they just pretend to drop dead.
Such simple knowledge can keep you safe. Once while cycling in a national park during twilight, I ran into a large snake, about 3m long, slowly crossing the road. From afar I thought it was a python so I freewheeled towards it to get a closer look. But about 5m before reaching the big guy, I saw the stripes on its back, which made me halt immediately. That was not a python but a king cobra. Fortunately, the king cobra didn't seem to pay any attention to my presence and continued on its way at its easy pace to the lawn on the other side of the road before disappearing into the darkness. What would have happened if I still thought it was the non-poisonous python and got closer?
Joining online communities such as the All About Thailand Snakes group on Facebook is also a great way to learn about these creatures. Many of the members are experts and one thing you'll immediately learn from the posts is that snakes making house visits happen a lot more often than you probably thought.
And, of course, a visit to the snake farm at Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute within the grounds of the Thai Red Cross Society on Rama IV Road is a must. There, you'll not only get to see the real things but also learn about how serums are made and what to do when bitten by a snake.
With proper knowledge, you'll not panic when a snake crawls into your home. If it's a venomous species, call the fire station near you or dial their hotline 199. One thing many Thais like to do after such an unwanted visit is buying a lottery ticket. Usually, they believe the house number would be a lucky number. However, considering the fact that it happens so many times in so many homes each month, the odds are still pretty high.
Pongpet Mekloy is the Bangkok Post's travel editor.