Crime

Police raid 5 homes and businesses suspected of gambling, arrest 21 people

Published

Monday, January 11, 2021 15:47

Stock photo by Chris Liverani for UnSplash

Police arrested 21 people on gambling charges after 5 raids in Bangkok over the weekend. While deputy chief of the Central Investigation Bureau, Jiraphop Phuridet, says the raids on January 8 and 9 are part of a nationwide crackdown initiated by the national police chief after a Covid-19 outbreak at a Rayong gambling den, the raids busted what seems like small scale operations… if they’re even considered “operations.”

Small groups of people were busted at homes allegedly playing card games or gambling on a mobile application.

“This operation is a part of the National Police chief’s policy to eliminate gambling dens nationwide to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading among the public.”

The 5 homes and businesses raided over the weekend include…

A car maintenance shop on Soi Sirithorn 1 in Bang Plad district. Police say they arrested 4 people who were allegedly playing a card game. Officers confiscated a deck of cards and cash.
A building on Nakhon Chaisri Road in Dusit district where police found playing cards, dice and plastic chips. No one was in the building at the time of the raid, police say.
A house near Tesco Lotus Rama I in Pathumwan district. 4 people were arrested for allegedly gambling on a mobile application. Police also confiscated the mobile phones and cash.
A room in Khlong Kwang community in Yannawa district. 4 people were arrested for allegedly playing a card game. Police confiscated a deck of cards and some cash.
A house in Soi Rimthangrotfai 3 in Thon Buri district. 9 people were arrested for gambling on mobile applications. Police confiscated the mobile phones and cash.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

Get more from The Thaiger

📱 Download our app on Android or iOS
👋 Have your say on our Thailand forums
🔔 Subscribe to our daily email newsletter
📺 Subscribe / Join YouTube for daily shows
👍 Like/Follow us on Facebook
🐦 FOLLOW us on Twitter
📷 FOLLOW us on Instagram

News Categories: Bangkok Crime

Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.

Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.

Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

Create an Account

6 Comments

PM

Monday, January 11, 2021 at 4:19 pm

Life in jail for all of them?

Reply
Toby Andrews

Monday, January 11, 2021 at 4:23 pm

Haven’t they got anything better to do.

Reply
Michael Hunter

Monday, January 11, 2021 at 4:57 pm

Yesterday my friend and I were playing the card game “Fish” on my kitchen table in my Jomtien condo.

Our wives were in the living room, busy talking and using their cellphones buying clothes online on Facebook Group Chat …

Before my friend and I agreed to play “Fish”, we bet each other that the loser of the game would buy dinner for the four of us next Sunday.

Now I read this article and I think “Wowwww ! We could have been raided by the police, had our game cards, confiscated, our wives cellphones confiscated as possible gambling devices, the 300 baht I had in my nearby wallet confiscated, my condo searched, and all of us arrested. And of course, maybe the media present during the raid to photograph us and publish our photos in the next news addition.

Sometimes I think the top police brass at these raids only show up when they know the media will tag along with them so they can get their smiling photos published standing next to the “criminals”.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 5:27 pm
  
  You’re right – it’s just putting a tick in the box, nothing more, and so petty it’s absurd. I remember when they “busted” the Pattaya Bridge Club 🙂
  
  Reply
Changyue

Monday, January 11, 2021 at 5:30 pm

Not exactly Casino Royale material is it?

Reply
Toby Andrews

Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 1:04 am

The police are just on fishing expeditions.
Fishing for the cash on the table, and a few cell phones.
Bribes are slim now that ferangs are prevented for visiting . . .

Reply

Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin Ashworth is a writer from the United States who has lived in Thailand since 2018. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies in 2016. She was a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette In Massachusetts. She also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida.

Up Next

Thai labour market bounces back despite the pandemic

Don't Miss

At least 6 deaths in Bangkok suspected to be caused by new illicit drug cocktail