Bangkok sings the blues: Cops bust Chinese in illegal karaoke bar

Police officers raided an illegal karaoke bar in the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok yesterday, arresting 26 Chinese nationals involved in a drug party.

Officers from Huay Kwang Police Station and the Youth and Women’s Welfare Centre received a tip-off about the illegal bar and acted swiftly, conducting the raid yesterday, November 5. Upon arrival, they encountered a 25 year old Thai man named Sakhon, who identified himself as the manager.

According to officers, the building’s first and second floors were still under renovation. However, on the third floor, they found two fully equipped karaoke rooms with vivid lights and sound systems.

In the first room, police detained seven Chinese nationals, three men and four women. In the second room, they arrested 19 foreign people including 13 men and six women. Drug paraphernalia was found in the first room, while four zip-lock bags containing a substance suspected to be crystal methamphetamine were seized in the second room.

Sakhon told police that the bar had not officially opened, as most of the building was still undergoing renovation. However, he claimed the Chinese patrons requested to use the rooms, which he rented out at 20,000 baht per room.

Since the establishment was under renovation, it had not yet obtained a licence to serve alcohol and was operating beyond permitted closing hours.

As a result, Sakhon faces charges for selling alcohol outside of allowed hours, allowing drug-related offences on the premises, and violating the Foreign Workers Act by employing illegal foreign workers without permits as three foreign workers were found at the place.

The penalty awaiting the manager has not been disclosed, nor has the identity of the true owner of the karaoke bar been revealed.

In a related report from last year, police raided a Chinese karaoke bar named Jin Ling. More than 200 Chinese nationals were arrested, and 100 of them tested positive for drugs.

The owner of the establishment reportedly bribed the Palang Pracharat Party members to protect the pub and its patrons. However, party members insisted that they did not know the venue owner personally and did not receive any money.