Police raid illegal gambling den in Bangkok, 20 arrested

Police in Suthisan successfully raided an illegal gambling den secretly operating in Bangkok. Twenty individuals were apprehended during the operation, which took place at a house at the end of Soi Inthamara 22 in Din Daeng, Bangkok. The raid was initiated around 9pm yesterday, November 7, following reports of suspicious activity over the past two to three days.

Led by Phonthep Chalermkiat, the police chief of Suthisan, and his deputy, Pisanu Kerdthong, the law enforcement team included members of both the investigative and prevention units. They targeted the two-storey standalone house, which was guarded by a 3-metre-high fence, after receiving credible intelligence that it was being used as a gambling site.

Upon arrival, officers found two vehicles parked outside the residence. Inside, on the ground floor, they discovered a group of 20 people engaged in a lively game of Pok 8 Pok 9, a popular card game in the region. The group consisted of eight men and 12 women. Some participants claimed they did not have identification cards, though the police remained sceptical of these assertions.

Thitiporn, a 27 year old woman, claimed ownership of the house. In addition to the suspects, police seized various items as evidence. These included six decks of cards, betting markers, game instructions, a gambling table, and cash totalling 12,200 baht (US$360). All items were collected and will be used as evidence in subsequent legal proceedings, said Phonthep.

“This gambling operation is mobile one that has shifted locations multiple times over the past few days. Today marked its first day at this particular site.”

The police had been monitoring the unusual movements at the house from the early evening and were certain of the gambling activities taking place.

This led to a well-coordinated raid to catch the perpetrators in the act. Police are now investigating further to identify the true owner of the gambling den and will be questioning Thitiporn to determine her involvement in the operations, reported KhaoSod.

Those apprehended face legal proceedings, with Thitiporn being charged with organising gambling activities and the others charged with participating in gambling without proper authorisation. The case will proceed with the suspects being handed over to the Suthisan police station for further processing.