News Clippings

(May 5th, 1998)

Thai Snake-Man Aims for 7 Days with Deadly Crawlers

A Thai farmer is trying to set a special world record by living with more than 100 poisonous snakes in a small glass-walled room for seven days starting Tuesday.

Shoppers visiting a Bangkok shopping mall Tuesday were stunned to see Boonruang Buachan, 27, relax himself with two king cobras, 100 cobras, 30 centipedes and 20 scorpions. His only protection is a pair of goggles.

Boonruang claims to have befriended snakes since his childhood. His parents said he was born with a serious skin disease which gave a snake skin-like appearance to his skin until he was two or three. When his skin improved, Boonruang developed a liking for snakes.

Boonruang said that he had spent more than 20 years living with snakes and that snakes often came out to play with him.

He was only bitten once when he tried to protect one of his friends from being attacked by a cobra.

The cobra then led him to a herb which he used to cover the wound and was saved.

Boonruang said he had agreed to stay in the glass room to prove that he could be friends with any snakes, not only those from his village.