A 64-year-old woman in Samut Prakan narrowly escaped a fatal attack from a large python late Tuesday night while washing dishes at her home. Ms. Arom Arunrot, living alone since her husband’s passing in 2023, was ambushed by the snake around 10 p.m. on September 17, 2024, in the Phra Samut Chedi District. As she worked at the sink behind her rented house, which borders a bamboo forest, she felt a sharp pain on her thigh and realized she was being attacked by a giant python.
Initially thinking the assailant was a water monitor, Ms. Arom tried to fend off the snake by grabbing its head, but its powerful body coiled around her midsection and leg, tightening its grip. For two agonizing hours, she struggled to break free but was overpowered by the snake’s strength. Her desperate calls for help were eventually heard by a neighbor, who alerted the authorities.
Rescue workers from the Samut Prakan Poh Tek Tung Foundation arrived at the scene and, after breaking into the house, found Ms. Arom in a weakened state, pale and exhausted, with the 4-meter-long python weighing around 20 kilograms still wrapped around her. The team worked for 30 minutes to pry the snake off her and quickly provided first aid before rushing her to a hospital.
The python managed to escape into the nearby forest after being removed from Ms. Arom, evading capture. Residents in the area are now on alert, as the snake’s appearance has reignited concerns about other recent cases in Southeast Asia where humans have been attacked by large snakes. Notably, recent reports from Indonesia have highlighted incidents in which women were killed and consumed by pythons, heightening fears.
Reticulated pythons are known for their ambush strategy, using their muscular bodies to constrict their prey to death. While not venomous, their bites can cause infections, and their suffocating grip can lead to cardiac arrest within minutes. Experts have noted that these snakes occasionally target larger animals, and in rare cases, humans, if no other prey is available.
Following the incident, authorities have warned residents living near forests to remain vigilant, particularly as similar snake attacks have occurred in the region.
