Chon Buri police bust illegal poker den, arrest nine foreigners
Suspected gamblers flee as police raid poker hub
Chon Buri police, in collaboration with Chon Buri Immigration Police, successfully dismantled an illegal poker gambling den in a Pattaya residential village on August 25.
The operation resulted in the arrest of nine foreign nationals, comprising five Chinese and four South Korean. Acting on tips from locals who reported foreign vehicles obstructing the neighbourhood, the officers seized gambling equipment and assets worth over 1 million baht (US$30,720).
The raid took place at 2.30pm in Soi Thung Klom-Tan Man 5/1, under the leadership of Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Boonyalak, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, and other senior officers. The task force included personnel from Chon Buri Immigration Office, Nongprue Police Station, and the Tourist Police.
Upon entering the premises, officers found nine people actively playing poker. The police detained them and confiscated evidence, such as four poker tables, 60 decks of cards, nine mobile phones, a cash-counting machine, a large box of gambling chips, and 150,360 baht (US$4,620) in cash. Chips representing additional funds were also seized, with a combined value exceeding 1 million baht.
Initial investigations indicated that the gambling operation had been ongoing for about 10 days. Residents reported frequent obstruction by foreign vehicles, sometimes blocking the alley completely, which prompted them to alert the police.
The suspects have been handed over to Nongprue Police Station and face charges related to organising and participating in illegal poker gambling. Additionally, 35 year old Hao Tang, a Chinese national identified as the house lessee and key organiser, faces an extra charge for overstaying his visa by six days.
Investigations are ongoing to determine if more people are involved in the gambling network. Although Thailand is considering legalising poker for non-gambling, sports-related competitions, private gambling remains strictly illegal, as noted by the Pattaya News.
In similar news, police carried out a raid on a dragon-tiger gambling operation in Bang Yai, apprehending 54 participants and confiscating 218,340 baht. This marks the second crackdown in the area within two weeks.
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