If you have a fear of large reptiles, avert your gaze now. It’s not every day that you open your door only to find a Godzilla-sized lizard on your doorstep! A Thai man on Wednesday captured on video his close encounter with a not-very-welcome guest that “knocked” at his door and tried to force its way inside.
When Godzilla knocks
Attanai Thaiyuanwong came home on Sunday afternoon to a giant monitor lizard hanging onto the front door of his house in Samutprakarn, Thailand. Thaiyuanwond immediately took a video of the terrifying episode and posted it to his Facebook profile, where it garnered lots of attention worldwide.
The lizard, almost as tall as an adult, can be seen hanging on to the wall and occasionally wagging its tale. A man (presumably Thaiyuanwong) can be seen poking the animal with a stick in attempts to get it to run away, but it’s unclear if he was successful in the endeavor.
According to a Thai translation, the man can be heard saying in the background “Hia is in our house! It’s huge!” “Hia” is how reptiles are referred to in Thailand. “They say if you throw a coin at it, it will go away! It’s like giving the lizard luck and fortune!” a woman off-camera is heard saying.
Throughout the entire episode, a small pet dog can be heard continuously barking in fear, while the family inside screams as the giant lizard throws its tail against a nearby table. “It’s f***ing huge,” the man says at one point.
Regular in the neighborhood
Details have emerged that the lizard has lived near the location where the house is for many years before the family moved in. Apparently, the lizard goes by the nickname “Selena,” after Thaiyuanwong’s sister’s favorite celebrity.
It is believed that the giant lizard was later removed successfully and was unharmed, leaving the family to go about their daily business without being disturbed by a freakishly-large beast.
In tradition Thai culture, monitor lizards are believed to bring good fortune to those who encounter them. Let’s hope this unfortunate family’s “fortune” takes a turn for the better!
