An aggressive rat snake sparked chaos as it terrified staff at a gold shop in Thailand.

The tiny but feisty reptile slithered into the Yindee Gold Shop in Nakhon Ratchasima province, causing panic among the employees on July 31.

Snake catchers were called to the scene to collect the reptile, which had nestled inside a wall gap near the glass entrance.

Video shows a snake wrangler flicking his finger inside the nook to provoke the rat snake to come out of hiding. He grabbed the creature when it lunged at him, and sealed it inside a plastic bottle to be released in the wild.

Rat snakes are non-venomous snakes that primarily feed on rodents. They are known for their agile climbing abilities, and are found across a wide distribution, including Southeast Asia.