No gambling dens reported in Bangkok says police chief
Thailand’s new national police chief says he hasn’t received any reports of gambling dens in Bangkok since he was appointed as chief on October 1. This was in response to a group of gamblers who claimed that over 100 illegal gambling dens operate throughout the capital city.
The group of gamblers claim that they were abducted and physically abused at a venue on Pradit Manutham road last week. They said they were extorted out of over 5 million baht after winning at the site. The group complained to the police.
But when police raided the site of the alleged crimes, they reportedly found no evidence of gambling, Bangkok Post reported.
However, the chief, Police General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, noted that gambling claims call for a serious investigation. Chief Damrongsak said that if police have clear evidence, lawbreakers will be arrested and punished. He urged people with information on dens to submit complaints to the police.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner also said that there are currently no gambling clubs operating in Bangkok.
Most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, yet, reports of gambling busts regularly make headlines across the country. Last month, a resident in Krabi’s main city district secretly filmed a gambling den, Thai media reported on Sunday. The blurry footage showed a crowd of people in a big house around a table.
In another incident last month, officials arrested 18 people in a gambling bust in Phuket’s Thalang district.
