2 entertainment venues raided in Pattaya amid crackdown

In their continued effort to crack down on nefarious activities, and hamper tourism according to many, the Pattaya Police raided two more nightclubs last night. The raids came after a pledge by police forces to do nightly sweeps of the area to make sure that all entertainment venues are following all the laws.

At the press conference on Friday, Major General Nantawut Suwanlaong laid out the rules that will apply to entertainment venues and restaurants in Pattaya. He announced police would be enforcing them nightly, including a pledge to personally take part in weekend patrols.

True to his word, Nantawut, the acting Commander in Chief of the Chon Buri Provincial Police, led officers in a thorough inspection early yesterday morning. According to The Pattaya News, two nightlife entertainment venues were searched on Saturday night, in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Only one of the venues was named: Soi Buakhao’s Fin Up.

Pattaya Police officers reported that Thai people and foreigners were drinking inside the venues. They checked the passports of foreigners and the Thai IDs of locals. Officers also searched both venues for illegal drugs or weapons. None were found and customers were not cited for any violations of the law.

At least one venue did have an issue with not being able to produce the proper license to operate the entertainment venue. They were instructed to close the venue and remain closed until they were able to present to the police the required licenses. If they fail to comply or reopened without showing the proper paperwork, legal action would be taken.

The daily raids and the crackdown on nightlife have been widely criticized online and on social media. Tourists are discouraged by the uncomfortable prospect of being searched by police on a night out or having the venue they’re partying in suddenly shut down. And local businesses struggling to re-establish themselves after the pandemic forced closures for years lament the loss of business caused by the crackdown.

Many had been expecting a huge boom in business as the World Cup gets underway and people flock to entertainment venues to watch the games with friends and booze. But Nuntawut made a specific point that there would be no exception for venues that stayed open late to show the World Cup matches.

Police vowed continued nightly raids on entertainment venues and restaurants, particularly searching for anyone breaking these seven rules:

1. No person under 20 can enter bars and entertainment venues.
2. Underage people cannot purchase alcohol in any venues, including restaurants.
3. Though different zones have closing times between midnight and 2am, all entertainment venues must be closed with no customers inside by the legal closing times.
4. After the legal closing time, selling alcohol is strictly prohibited without exception.
5. No weapons or illegal drugs are allowed in any entertainment venues.
6. Human trafficking is strictly prohibited in any entertainment venue.
7. Gambling is illegal and prohibited in every entertainment venue.