A gecko and a python snakeling sparked panic when they were found hiding in boxes at a discount shop in Thailand.

The reptiles had nestled themselves inside paper boxes, where they were discovered by terrified shoppers at the 10 Baht store - the equivalent of a dollar or pound store - in Saraburi province on July 3.

The cashier, Suriyaporn Nori, 28, said she had earlier spotted the baby snake coiled inside the container while organising the shelves.

Worried that customers might mistake it for a toy, she called the local snake wranglers for help.

She said: 'I'm scared of snakes so I didn't dare touch the box. Unfortunately, the customers found the baby python before the volunteers could arrive. I heard them scream while I was stepped out of the counter for a bit.'

The snake wranglers easily caught the tiny snake, which they sealed inside a plastic bottle.

However, they had trouble catching the gecko as it eluded them by scrambling around the walls. It was later cornered and freed into its natural habitat, along with the python.

The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where they live in forests, swamps, canals and even in cities, causing them to come into conflict with humans. The species is one of the world's largest snakes and can eat humans, cats, dogs, birds, rats and other snakes.