Pressing matters: News reporter grilled by police over social media scoop on gambling den robbery

Khao Chaison Police Station in the southern province of Phattalung summoned a news reporter for further questioning after he posted a story on social media about a robbery that occurred at a gambling den.

On August 15, the unnamed news reporter took to Facebook to share information about a robbery at the gambling den.

“Robbery at a gambling den in Phattalung province. Is there a gambling den there? What are the police for?”

The post went viral on Thai social media and a television news programme later clarified the news. The news programme reported that the unidentified thieves, armed with guns, broke into the gambling den and stole over 70,000 baht.

The news programme added that the robbery occurred on August 12, but the victim, a gambling den operator, did not file a complaint with the police.

The news went viral on social media and the focus turned to the presence of a gambling den in the area. This then led to criticism against Khao Chaison Police Station officers who took responsibility for the area.

After the criticism, police claimed that they did not recognise the presence of the gambling house in the area. They added that an investigation into officials who provide support for the illegal business operation would be conducted.

The police station later set up a special committee to investigate the matter and also summoned the news reporter, who raised awareness of the gambling den, for questioning. The police insisted that they would finish the case within seven days.

This year, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and relevant authorities cracked down on several gambling dens across the country.

Two weeks ago, the Chiang Mai administrative team received a tip-off from locals and conducted a raid at a gambling den in the heart of the city. Officers managed to apprehend 104 people behind the illegal business operation and discovered that the place had a turnover of over 1 million baht per day.

A recent police operation in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok in June resulted in the arrest of 49 people who were betting on snooker.

In January, officers raided a luxury condominium in Pattaya and managed to arrest one man and three women who operated a gambling website. The site had over 200,000 gamblers’ accounts with 360 million baht in circulation.

According to the Gambling Act, anyone who operates gambling houses or encourages others to participate in gambling will face a penalty of imprisonment for at least two years and a fine of at least 2,000 baht, depending on the type of gambling game.