Pattaya poker faces dealt losing hand in underground bust (video)
A major crackdown on illegal gambling in Pattaya led to the arrest of 19 people, including 10 foreigners, after police raided an underground poker club. The raid on Wednesday, April 23, uncovered more than 5 million baht in gambling circulation, and the police are now pressing charges.
“On Tuesday afternoon, Pol. Col. Anek Srathongyu, Superintendent of Pattaya Police Station, led a team to investigate a sports club located on Central Pattaya Road, acting on tips from concerned citizens,” a police report revealed.
Locals were worried that the illegal poker games were damaging the family-friendly image of Pattaya, a popular tourist destination.
Upon searching the premises, officials discovered that the ground floor of the building was operating as a snooker club, while the second floor had been transformed into a VIP area for high-stakes poker games.
Inside, police found 19 people, six staff members and 13 gamblers. The group consisted of nine Thai nationals and 10 foreign nationals, including one each from the Philippines, Cambodia, Russia, Denmark, Myanmar, Singapore, and Canada, with three Malaysians in the mix.
The ringleader, 65 year old Singaporean national Yin, reportedly confessed to organising the illegal gambling operation.
“The games were structured as tournaments with a 1,800-baht seat fee per round. Participants placed bets ranging from 75,000 to 150,000 baht,” said Pol. Col. Anek. The investigation revealed a staggering circulation of over 5 million baht.
Yin faces charges for organising illegal gambling, while the others will be charged for participating in the operation. The suspects were taken into custody for further legal proceedings, reported The Pattaya News.
Under Thailand’s strict anti-gambling laws, even private poker games are illegal, and police is determined to clamp down on such activities.
In similar news, Thai police raided an illegal poker operation in a Bangkok warehouse on March 4, arresting 52 gamblers, both Thai and foreign nationals.
The raid, led by officers from Ladprao Police Station, uncovered a staggering 51.4 million baht in chips. The operation had been tipped off, and police arrived to find the gambling in full swing, with players actively betting and dealing cards.
Latest Thailand News
