Luxury casino in Pattaya raided before grand opening

Police raided an under-construction building in Pattaya after being tipped off it is to become a luxury casino.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, ordered police officers to raid the gambling house at the Chalerm Phra Kiat 6 on the Pattaya Sai Sam Road in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya.

Police met a 17 year old Thai boy named Em who claimed to be the caretaker of the building. The teenager then confessed to police that the owner of the gambling house is a Chinese national named Ming.

According to the police report, the gambling joint is almost ready to open. The front door opens to the main hall, a money exchange room, two VIP rooms, a CCTV control room, a large kitchen, a storeroom, bathrooms, and two accommodations.

Many gambling tools were found in the area like 500 dice, six baccarat tables, 500 decks of cards, etc. New sofas, chairs, tables, and other furniture were equipped.

The casino is about 600-square-meters and is located on a 25,600-square-meter plot of land.

The identity of the landowner has not been reported but police discovered that a Chinese citizen started renting the land over six years ago, in 2016.

The other businesses operating on the land include a boxing camp, karaoke bar, barbecue restaurant, and Chinese restaurant, all of which were closed after the pandemic.

Em was taken to the police station for further questions about the casino and the investigation into the owner of the land and the casino continues.