Flussssh it away! Terrifying moment man spots a COBRA slithering into his toilet bowl 

A Cambodian man had a very close call when he spotted a cobra lurking in his toilet just as he was about to use it.

Ray Sopha initially thought that the previous user had not flushed the toilet properly at his home in the village of Phsar Prom, Pailin.

However he quickly realised it was actually a venomous snake lying in wait.

In the terrifying clip, recorded on March 3, water can be seen spinning round the toilet bowl after Ray uses the flush.

But as it ebbs away the snake’s head suddenly appears and it can be seen repeatedly flicking out its tongue.

There is a brief pause while the cobra remains completely still but then seems to spot Ray and wriggles further toward the surface.

It breaks through the water as Ray and his friend can be heard in the background weighing up their options.  

Before the snake could rise out the water and flare its hood to attack, Ray rushed outside to call for help. 

But, after Ray and relatives returned to get rid of the cobra, it was nowhere to be seen – despite a thorough search inside the house. 

Ray Sopha had been about to use the toilet at his home in the village of Phsar Prom in Pailin, Cambodia, when he spotted something in the water

The homeowner said he and his family have not used the toilet since.

He also placed a cover over the top of the bowl and drained it in a bid to stop the reptile returning.  

He said: ‘We’ve been using the other toilet in the house for the last week. We’re not going back into that bathroom until we’re sure the snake will not return.

‘I’m relieved that I noticed the creature before I sat on the toilet. 

‘I’ve only seen such things happening on TV, I never thought it would happen to me in real life.’ 

Three types can be found in Cambodia – the King Cobra, the Thai Spitting Cobra and the Monocled Cobra.

The King Cobra, which can be identified by yellow or white chevron stripes on the hood, is the longest venomous snake in the world and grows up to four metres.

Their venom can deliver death in around 30 minutes after a bite. However they are considered shy and will avoid conflict with humans.

The cobra remained completely still but spotted Ray and wriggled further toward the surface 

The Thai Spitting Cobra, which grows up to one metre, is usually only active at night as it preys on small rodents.

The snake spits venom when threatened and, although not usually fatal, can cause blindness if it lands in the eyes.

Bites can be potentially lethal but an anti-venom is available.

The Monocled Cobra is a very aggressive daytime snake that can be found in rice fields and grassland across Cambodia. 

It has a very long and fast strike and its bites can kill in one to four hours.

Previous incidents of snakes attacking people using the toilet include a woman in Thailand who was bitten by a seven-foot python last October.

Boonsong Plaikaew, 54, was about to finish using the toilet at her home in Samut Prakan, central Thailand, when she felt a searing pain.

Blood gushed through her legs and underwear before the snake bit her again on the finger. Her husband alerted paramedics arrived who rushed Mrs Plaikaew to hospital. 

Fortunately the snake was not venomous and she was sent home with a course of antibiotics. 

A month earlier 18-year-old Siraphop Masukarat was rushed to hospital after a python bit his penis as he sat on the toilet at his home in Nonthaburi, around 13 miles north of Bangkok.

The teenager looked down and saw the python with its jaws clamped around the tip of his penis. It quickly let go as blood spurted around the toilet bowl.

The unlucky teenager had to have stitches to the tip of the penis at the nearby Bang Yai Hospital.