Police raid Pattaya bar and arrest 32 people for drinking alcohol

Police raided a Pattaya bar and arrested 32 Thais and foreigners who were allegedly drinking alcohol, violating Covid-19 disease control measures which prohibit gatherings, particularly where alcohol is involved.

Police were called to the Sky Mountain Bar at around 11:30pm last night after a call from a local. Customers and bar staff emerge arrested and taken to the Pattaya City Police station. Police say customers were also smoking shisha tobacco, which is illegal in Thailand. Photos show the hookah pipes confiscated by police.

Partygoers face charges of violating the Chon Buri disease control order that prohibits groups from gathering and drinking alcohol at bars. The manager faces additional charges for allegedly allowing the consumption of alcohol in a restaurant, illegally operating a business as it was past the legal closing time of 11pm in Chon Buri, and illegally selling shisha.

Local officials are discussing whether to close the business. Police are still investigating and have not identified the owner of the bar.

With Covid-19 still spreading in Thailand, police in some provinces have been cracking down on gatherings and parties involving alcohol. In Phuket, last Saturday saw an aptly named bar, “The Honey Pot”, busted for serving customers alcohol and violating Covid-19 restrictions.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News