Ten foreigners arrested in Koh Phangan poker raid
Tourist police arrested ten foreign nationals last night, December 2, for gambling during a poker game in Koh Phangan district, Surat Thani.
The raid took place around 10pm at a private property. Officers from Division 5 of the Tourist Police Bureau acted after receiving information that foreigners had gathered there to gamble.
When they arrived, they saw numerous motorbikes parked outside and spotted people playing cards behind partially closed curtains. Police recorded video footage of the activity before entering the premises.
Inside, officers found six Russians, one Romanian, one Israeli, one German and one British national sitting around a long table covered with green felt. The group played poker using several decks of cards, poker chips, and an automatic card shuffler. Police also seized additional gambling equipment at the scene.
Several media outlets reported that a 36 year old Russian man Anton Kozko was the organiser of the game. He rented the house for 30,000 baht per month and admitted to inviting friends via phone calls and messaging apps.
Police discovered 134,950 baht in cash in a waist bag he carried during the game. Officers seized the money along with the gambling equipment as evidence.
Police charged all ten foreigners with gambling for monetary gain. Kozko faces an additional charge for organising the activity.
Officers transferred the group to Koh Phangan Police Station for legal proceedings. Pol. Lt. Col. Winit Boonchit, head of Tourist Police Division 5, confirmed the operation and arrests today.
Gambling, including poker, remains illegal in Thailand, except for state-run lotteries and some regulated horse racing. In October, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul scrapped a policy by the previous administration that had briefly recognised poker as a sport. The current government has pledged to tighten enforcement against all forms of unauthorised gambling.
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