Man Dies After King Cobra Bite in Udon Thani

A 65-year-old man in Udon Thani province died hours after being struck by a king cobra bite. Samran's death has left his family devastated, with his wife in tears revealing his haunting final words: 'Save money for my funeral costs,' while pleading for kindly individuals to help fund their youngest daughter's education so she can fulfill her dream of continuing her studies. On July 10, reporters visited the family home in Nong Som district after Samran's death following a cobra bite. Relatives and neighbors gathered to hold a merit-making ceremony as the family mourned the sudden loss of their breadwinner. The house is located surrounded by rubber plantations and communal forest areas—environments conducive to snakes and venomous insects. Dried meat preparations were discovered on the property, and locals theorize the smell may have attracted the king cobra seeking protein, as these snakes are carnivorous hunters.

Samran's teenage daughter recounted through tears that the day before, her father planned to take her to market to buy pork and chicken to prepare dried meat for sale in the fields for income. While retrieving clothes from a clothesline, he failed to notice the black and yellow striped cobra until it suddenly swooped down and bit his head once. He then stomped it dead. After the bite, her father quickly instructed her to buy allergy medicine, which he took—three pills in total. Within minutes, his condition deteriorated rapidly: he began trembling, convulsing, and gasping for breath before losing consciousness.

Relatives and neighbors immediately performed CPR and rushed him to the hospital. Despite full resuscitation efforts, they could not save his life. His grieving daughter said through tears that if her father could hear her, she wished he would visit her in dreams, as he left without saying goodbye. She vowed to study hard to fulfill his wish of seeing her complete higher education.

Samran's wife explained she had been working in Udon Thani city for about a month, leaving her husband at home with their daughter, when she received the devastating news. Her husband had chronic liver disease and asthma, and despite doctor's warnings, he had been secretly buying asthma medication. She suspected that taking three allergy pills combined with his pre-existing conditions may have caused his rapid deterioration after the cobra bite.

The night before the incident, Samran's wife dreamed of losing all her teeth, which unsettled her. During their final phone conversation, her husband told her to 'save money for funeral expenses' and emphasized his desire to see their daughter achieve higher education, insisting he wouldn't give up easily since his child was still young.

The family faces significant financial hardship and debt. Previously, Samran worked odd jobs, but as his health declined, he turned to preparing and selling food in the fields to support the family. His sudden death has left them without an income provider. They have four children total; the older ones have established their own families elsewhere. Only their youngest daughter remains, a diligent student with good behavior who dreams of completing at least high school education.