BANGKOK, Dec 4 — A Chinese man spent three days trapped in a 12-metre-deep abandoned well in a remote forest in Thailand, with his calls for help mistaken by villagers for ghostly noises.

South China Morning Post reported that the incident occurred in Mae Sot, Tak province, near the Thai-Myanmar border, where local police received reports on November 24 of eerie cries emerging from the forest at night.

The man, identified as 22-year-old Liu Chuanyi, later said through a translator, "I shouted for help once every hour to conserve my strength.”

On Sunday evening, members of a passing patrol unit heard someone crying but were unsure of its source.

The chief officer then shouted, and the man shouted back, so they began searching for him and called a rescue team from the Mae Sot Pitakkarn Foundation, the Bangkok Post reported.

They traced the sound to a dry well, where Liu was found trapped at the bottom.

The rescue operation by the authorities took 30 minutes.

Liu was discovered in a weakened state, suffering from a fractured left wrist, a cerebral concussion and multiple bruises, and was immediately taken to a hospital.

Villagers had reportedly heard strange cries for several nights, but avoided investigating, believing the sounds to be supernatural.

Authorities suspect Liu wandered into the forest and accidentally fell into the well while trying to find his way out.

Officials have contacted immigration authorities to determine why Liu was near the Thai-Myanmar border.

Measures are being taken to seal the well to prevent similar incidents in the future.