A hero Buddhist monk saved a drowning boy who was suffering leg cramps in a river in Thailand.

Phra Somyong Ruttising, 40, rushed to the waterfront near the Wat Bang Fai temple in Samut Prakan province after staff told him of a youngster was struggling in the water on July 9.

When he reached the Chao Phraya River, he saw the boy's head bobbing up and down on the water's surface while he was struggling to keep afloat.

The heroic middle-aged monk threw off his robes Baywatch-style and dived into the treacherous river on the outskirts of Bangkok rescue him. He then dragged the child out and carried him in front of the temple before calling paramedics for help.

The boy, Kanin Samipak, 13, was given first aid at the temple's doorstep. He said he had been swimming with his friends when it began raining, causing him to suffer cramps.

He said: 'It was cold. I couldn't feel my legs so I tried to keep my head above the water. The next thing I knew, the monk had already jumped in to rescue me.'

Phra Somyong said: ‘At first I didn't believe it when somebody came and told me a child was drowning. But when I looked, I saw the kid being dragged under by the current so I did not hesitate to jump in.

‘I remember watching the boy vomit the river water as I carried him to the temple. His skin had already become yellow. I have warned people to not play in the water if they do not know how to swim as it may result in fatal accidents.'