A huge swirling waterspout tornado off the coast of Trat province on Sunday morning was caught on camera and has since been widely shared on social media.

Locals watched in amazement as the elephant trunk-shaped tornado formed, stretching down from the gloomy clouds above into the sea below.

Footage shows how the tornado sucked up seawater into the vortex as the mass of storm clouds also began spinning.

Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water. They are intense columns of swirling clouds that stretch from the surface to the clouds above.

They are most commonly found in subtropical areas and disappear shortly after they come into contact with land.

Waterspouts are generally not dangerous but they can be a risk for aircraft flying through the area and for coral reefs and marine life in the water immediately below.

Sailors should also try to avoid waterspouts – as the consequences of floating into one could be disastrous.

The most common type of waterspout is a ‘fair weather waterspout’. They happen when winds merge from opposite directions near the water’s surface, creating a small area of spin.

Sudden warm air at the surface, usually from a thunderstorm, causes the spinning air to rotate faster and it starts to rise – picking up water at the same time.

Sometimes the air spins so fast that it stretches and a funnel appears from the water to the thunderstorm cloud above.

Smartphone footage of a giant monitor lizard looking in the fridges and climbing up shelves at a 7-Eleven store in Nakhon Pathom province is the most viewed video of the day in Thailand.

The 6ft long reptile emerged from a nearby canal and ran into the convenience store sparking panic among staff and customers.

As the lizard climbed onto shelves and knocking cartons of milk to the ground a shop assistant called the police who soon arrived with reptile handlers shortly after lunchtime on Tuesday.

The rescue team dragged the lizard out of the store before ushering it away into nearby undergrowth.

Jejene Narumpa who filmed and shared the video on her Facebook page believed the creature was hot and hungry and only came in to cool off.

A dancer who lost her job during the pandemic has become an online hit after showing off her crazy moves while selling French Fries.

Thanaporn Mankonkaew had been a backing dancer with Thai pop star singer Lamyai Haitongkam travelling around the country but when Covid-19 lockdowns came into force last year she was unable to continue working.

To make ends meet she opened a food stall outside her home in Bangkok and entertained customers with her wacky dance moves.

Videos posted on social media of her serving skills gained attention and customers were soon flocking to her roadside food stand.