A soft drinks warehouse in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Muang district was robbed early yesterday morning with the robbers making off with about 300,000 baht in cash, police said.

Natthapol Sommai, 31, an employee of TPD Co that operates the warehouse containing Pepsi soft drinks, was found by other employees tightly bound to a plastic chair, police said.

After being rescued by the police who were called to the warehouse by other staff, he said three men with two guns forced him to open a safe.

Mr Natthapol said the robbers emerged from hiding when he came back to the warehouse after shopping at a fresh market at about 6am.

The robbers took all of about 300,000 baht cash in the safe before tying him to the chair and fleeing on motorcycles.

In the same district of the southern province, a 7-Eleven shop on Saphan Yao Road was robbed late on Friday night and the robbers made off with about 4,000 baht, police said.

The incident occurred at about 11.30pm and two people were involved, said Witthaya Kairoj, 34, head of the convenience store's staff.

Mr Witthaya said he and three other staff members were assisting a number of customers when the two suspects arrived. One went to the cashier counter and pretended to look at something while waiting for the customers to leave.

The suspect, who was aged about 25, pulled out a pistol and threatened Mr Witthaya.

In Samut Prakan, Wanchai Khaebkhunthod, 20, from Chaiyaphum, was caught near a convenience store he allegedly attempted to rob, but failed.