Venomous Snakes in Thailand (List by Species)

Here is the start of a venomous snakes in Thailand list for those of you that are concerned about what you might run into in the wild or under the water. Most of the ocean snakes are assumed deadly, so do not get bitten by any snake while diving.

Though most Colubrids (Colubridae) have been found to have venom in some amount and strength, we will only include them on this list if envenomation has caused fairly significant reactions in the form of tissue damage or other problems for the person bitten.

If you or someone you know has been bitten by a snake in Thailand and had complications arise from the bite, would you have them write me an email so I can take down their account of the incident? Thanks!

Venomous Terrestrial (Land) Snakes

• Boiga dendrophila – mangrove cat-eyed snake (some people have intense headaches, dizziness following bite)
• Bungarus candidus – banded krait
• Bungarus fasciatus – Malayan krait (blue krait)
• Bungarus flaviceps – red-headed krait
• Bungarus multicinctus – many-banded krait
• Calliophis bivirgatus – blue coral snake
• Calliophis gracilis – spotted coral snake
• Calliophis macclellandi – MacClelland’s coral snake
• Calliophis maculiceps – Small spotted coral snake
• Calloselasma rhodostoma – Malayan pit viper
• Daboia russelii – Russell’s viper
• Naja kaouthia – monocled / monocellate cobra
• Naja siamensis – Indochinese spitting cobra
• Naja sumatrana – equatorial spitting cobra
• Ophiophagus hannah – king cobra
• Ovophis monticola – mountain pit viper
• Rhabdophis nigrocinctus – green keelback (assumed venomous – no proof)
• Rhabdophis subminiatus – red-necked keelback
• Trimeresurus albolabris – white-lipped pit viper
• Trimeresurus kanburiensis – Kanburi pit viper
• Trimeresurus macrops – large-eyed bamboo pit viper
• Trimeresurus popeorum – Pope’s pit viper
• Trimeresurus puniceus – flat-nosed pit viper (ashy pit viper)
• Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus – Mangrove pit viper / Shore viper
• Trimeresurus sumatranus – Sumatran pit viper
• Trimeresurus venustus – beautiful pit viper
• Tropidolaemus wagleri – Wagler’s pit viper
• Trimeresurus gumprechti – Gumprech’s viper
• Trimeresurus vogeli – Vogel’s viper

Venomous Sea Snakes

• Acalyptophis peronii – potentially deadly, no fatalities or envenomation reported
• Astrotia stokesii – potentially deadly, largest of the sea snakes, venom not well studied.
• Enhydrina schistosa – numerous human fatalities. Image here.
• Hydrophis cantorus – potentially deadly, very few envenomations, and no fatalities reported.
• Hydrophis cyanocinctus – numerous envenomations and fatalities.
• Hydrophis gracilis – potentially deadly, no bites to humans.
• Hydrophis lapemoides – deadly, some have been envenomated and died as a result of bites from this snake.
• Hydrophis ornatus – rare, potentially deadly. Envenomation reported, but no deaths reported.
• Hydrophis spiralis – deadly, larger than most sea snakes. Long fangs and large venom stores. Untreated envenomation likely to be fatal. Many human deaths reported as a result of bites from this snake. Aggressive, bites without provocation.
• Lapemis curtus – deadly snake, causes renal failure with full envenomation. Deaths have resulted.
• Lapemis hardwickii – venom not well studied, assume potentially fatal. Related to Lapemis curtis above.
• Laticauda colubrina – few envenomations and no fatalities reported to this point.
• Laticauda laticaudata – potentially deadly. No significant envenomations reported.
• Thalassophina viperina – envenomation and death recorded after bites from this sea snake.