Pattaya poker face-off: Cops bust beachside card game
A clandestine poker game involving foreigners and Thai nationals in Pattaya was busted by police in a dramatic raid near Jomtien Beach. The illegal gambling operation, disguised as a beer bar, was exposed on Monday, January 6, after officers acted on a tip-off.
Officers from the Chon Buri Immigration Police, led by Police Colonel Napassapong Kositsuriyamani, uncovered seven foreigners, including Australians, Russians, Americans, and British, engrossed in a high-stakes poker game. Thai accomplices were reportedly managing the game and distributing cards.
The seemingly innocent bar had been operating as a façade, with poker tables hidden in its upper floors. Law enforcement seized multiple decks of cards, a poker table, and cash during the raid.
In total, 12 individuals, both Thai and foreign nationals, were arrested and transported to Pattaya City Police Station for further legal action.
This is the latest in a series of crackdowns aimed at illegal gambling in Thailand, a country where such activities are strictly prohibited under the law.
Police are continuing their investigations to determine if the venue is linked to a larger network of illegal gambling rings, reported Pattaya Mail.
In related news, cyber police swooped on the Bangkok 198 online gambling network, arresting its financial executive and seizing luxury cars, along with over 9 million baht in cash, and uncovering a monthly turnover exceeding 10 million baht.
Police Lieutenant General Trirong Phivphan, head of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, instructed Police Colonel Surapong Thaiprasert and Police Colonel Apirak Champasri, along with an investigative team, to launch operations targeting two locations in Nonthaburi and Phitsanulok provinces.
The operation, believed to be linked with three other prominent websites, involves over 200,000 players and a financial turnover exceeding 1 billion baht.
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