Gambling is illegal in Thailand. We often hear stories of small groups of citizens rounded up for playing dominoes, dice or cards. These errant folks are normally found under a mango tree in the back garden or a small room in an apartment block.
This week saw a raid on a full scale casino in East Pattaya. Officials had received a tip off from concerned citizens. A search warrant was obtained from Pattaya Provincial Court and a task force of over 50 officials and Nongprue police officers were gathered to raid the premises.
Khun Sakchai Teangho Chief of Banglamung District and Police Colonel Suthisak led the raid on a large luxury house set in it's own compound at the Little Venice Housing Estate off Soi Siam Country Club Road in East Pattaya.
The three storey house was set in on a one rai plot was surrounded by high walls, Iron gates and security cameras. Dozens of luxury vehicles were neatly valet parked in a car park behind the house.
Two guards armed with loaded automatic weapons, one of them a serving military officer from Lopburi and the other guard from Chantaburi province were the first to be taken out and put in handcuffs and their weapons imobalized and seized.
Inside, the house was packed with staff and punters. Gambling was going on on two floors. 34 staff including croupiers, bartendees, hostesses and even massage girls at the in house massage parlour were rounded up including Khun Panya aged 40, the owner of the den of iniquity and alleged organizer of the illegal Casino.
187,556 Baht in cash and a large amount of gambling equipment including dice, cards and gambling chips was seized as evidence and along with comprehensive video footage from CCTV cameras inside and outside the house. It is a safe bet that the game is up for this operation and the cards are certainly on the table for these folks who appear to have just run out of luck.
