Drunk Thai man survives being trapped overnight in 30ft well

A drunk Thai villager survived being trapped overnight in an abandoned 30ft well filled with water.

Somwang Khonkaen, 40, felt the urge to urinate while driving home from a night of drinking in Chonburi province, Thailand, early morning on September 7.

He parked his motorcycle and walked away from the road to relieve himself - only to plunge into a deep unused well obscured by tall grass.

The road user said he screamed for help but the residents nearby were still fast asleep. He waited until the morning, soaking for around eight hours in dirty rainwater, before shouting again.

A passing motorcycle taxi rider, Tukta Sawasdee, 41, heard his cries and called a rescue team for assistance.

Footage shows volunteers lowering a rope into the narrow shaft to pull up the a shirtless Somwang, seen smiling at his rescuers despite being exhausted. He was hosed down before being taken to a hospital for treatment.

He said: 'I needed to pee so I tried to walk toward the trees on the roadside. I didn't notice the hole because it was so dark and there was tall grass everywhere. The mud and water cushioned my fall. I was lucky it wasn't raining, or I would have drowned.'

Tukta said she was shocked when she heard someone screaming for help.

She said: 'I was waiting for a passenger when I heard him. I was confused because the cries seemed to be coming from underground. I looked around and finally found him inside the well.'

A resident, 46, said: 'He must not be from around here. Everyone who lives in this neighbourhood knows about the abandoned well. We keep the children away from this area because of the hole.'

Locals said the land belonged to the government. They urged authorities to cover the well to prevent similar accidents from happening.