High stakes: Police spin wheel of justice at Chon Buri gambling den

Police raided a luxury resort in the Na Jomtien area of Chon Buri at the weekend uncovering a gambling operation and arresting 15 Thai gamblers at the scene.

Officers from the Provincial Investigation Police Region 2 raided the luxury resort on Saturday, September 28, in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri and found 15 gamblers playing a popular Thai card game called Poek Deng, also known as Pok Paet Pok Kao.

Police seized 100 baht in cash, along with three decks of cards and various gambling tools. A 32 year old Thai man, Boonlert Narakate, was identified as the renter of the resort room. A 52 year old Thai woman, Laksika Pramaso, was found to be the dealer.

Officers inspected the room and discovered multiple CCTV cameras installed to prevent fraud and cheating among the gamblers. Some of the cameras were also installed to monitor the arrival of police, allowing gamblers to attempt an escape.

Despite the presence of CCTV cameras, the gamblers were unable to avoid arrest. Each suspect faces initial charges of illegal gambling, which carry a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 5,000 baht, or both.

In a related case, police raided a gambling den in Phuket and arrested four Russian and Ukrainian gamblers in March. Officers confiscated 647,525 baht worth of betting chips, a poker table, three decks of cards, computers, and a ledger documenting gambling activities.

The gamblers were found to be betting with chips and cryptocurrencies to avoid asset seizures during their arrests.

Another gambling den crackdown was reported in January, when the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) arrested 200 gamblers at a den in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Officers seized gambling equipment along with 280,000 baht in cash.

Locals in the area shared that the gambling den had been in operation for a long time and was well known among residents. The operation managed to evade police detection by being conducted in a gymnasium, surrounded by a wall over 2.5 metres high.