Chiang Mai police officers reassigned following unlicensed nightspot raid
The acting commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5, Police Major General Krittapon Yeesakhon, reassigned five senior officers from the Chang Phueak Police Station in Chiang Mai to inactive roles, pending an investigation. This decision is a response to a raid on an unlicensed nightspot within their jurisdiction.
The order affected Chang Phueak Police Chief, Pol. Col. Kittipong Phetmunee and four of his subordinates, who were relocated to inactive positions at the Chiang Mai Provincial Police’s operation centre. The duration of the investigation is currently estimated to be around 15 days.
In the recent past, these five officers had been transferred to the same centre following an investigation into their allowance of a gambling den located in the Santitham area of Tambon Chang Phueak. This occurred on August 10 and was accompanied by a crackdown executed by the Department of Provincial Administration’s (DPA) special unit.
The raid led to the arrest of 104 individuals, 19 of whom were card dealers and croupiers, along with the seizure of 31 cars, 10 motorbikes, an undisclosed amount of cash, and various gambling paraphernalia.
Following this incident, the officers returned to their posts at the Chang Phueak station, only to be relocated once again following another crackdown led by the DPA. This recent crackdown occurred at Le Neuf café bar restaurant on Sirindhorn Road in Muaeng district’s Tambon Chang Phueak.
The decision was a response to multiple complaints lodged by locals regarding the establishment’s operation beyond legal hours and its sale of alcohol to patrons under 20 years old, reported Bangkok Post.
Police raid
The DPA special unit, its inspector, district officials, Chiang Mai Provincial Police, Chang Phueak Police, and more than 30 officials from Volunteer Defence Corps Headquarters jointly conducted the crackdown. The raid revealed almost 300 patrons at the venue, 242 of whom were under 20 years old. This discovery led to a panic among the young attendees, leading many to attempt to exit the premises, only to be blocked by police.
The DPA inspector, Ronnarong Thipsiri, confirmed that the bar was operating without a licence. The bar, a two-storey wooden house with a low ceiling and no fire exits, presented a significant hazard in the event of a fire. Roughly 90% of the attendees were students aged 17 to 19, many of whom had used fake ID cards to gain access to the establishment.
The police have placed these underage individuals in the custody of the Chiang Mai Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office.
Charges have been pressed against the bar owner, 25 year old Kiatisak Promnimit, for operating the bar without a licence, selling alcohol past the legal time limit of midnight, selling alcohol to patrons under 20 years old, and modifying the building without prior permission. The authorities have also announced a suspension of the building’s usage.
