Tokay gecko facts - these are sometimes sold in pet stores in the US, but are definitely not an entry level pet.
They are notoriously temperamental, can run incredibly fast on walls, bark and hiss when irritated, and have a locking mechanism on their jaw that makes it so they won't let go after biting until they consciously decide to let go. They can be pretty good pets if handled properly, but chances are they were not if you see one in a pet store.
My wife taught English in Thailand for a while. She liked hearing these in her room at night because it meant the mosquitoes would be less of a problem, but they could get pretty loud.