Pattaya, Thailand– A woman received a major fright on Wednesday night after spotting what appeared to be a venomous cobra spreading its hood in a condominium parking lot, prompting an urgent call to rescue services. The response ended in laughter when authorities discovered the “snake” was nothing more than a fake rubber replica.
At approximately 10:00 p.m. on June 17th, 2026, the Pattaya City Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Radio Center received a report from a resident who had seen a snake resembling a cobra in the parking area of a condominium in the Pattaya Central area.
Rescue workers and firefighters rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, they found a black object shaped like a cobra in a defensive hood-spreading posture near the parking lot. The sight had caused considerable alarm among residents and bystanders. With the area dimly lit, officers approached cautiously, using flashlights and carrying snake-handling equipment.
As they got closer, however, the team noticed the object showed no movement whatsoever. A closer inspection quickly revealed it was a rubber snake toy. Both the rescuers and the woman who raised the alarm breathed a collective sigh of relief, with the tense situation dissolving into laughter.
Ms. Kanthicha, 36, the woman who reported the incident, said she noticed the snake-like object while walking to her car. Fearing it posed a danger to residents, she immediately alerted condominium security, who contacted the rescue unit.
“I was really shocked when I saw it spreading its hood,” she told officials. “I was worried it could harm people living here, so I called for help right away. I feel much better now knowing it was just a fake.”
Authorities believe the rubber snake likely fell from a resident’s balcony or rooftop, where it may have been placed to deter birds. Officials removed the object from the area to prevent any further misunderstandings or panic among residents.
