Pattaya bar raided by police at 5am, some test positive for illicit drugs

The pub manager, guests, and staff members of a bar in Pattaya were arrested at around 5am over the weekend for violating Covid-19 measures that require restaurants to stop serving alcohol by 9pm. Nationwide, entertainment venues – which have faced closure orders since April – have been able to apply to open temporarily as restaurants. But bars and other unapproved entertainment venues must remain closed.

The Chief of Pattaya City Police, Colonel Kunlachart Kunlachai, who led the raid, told reporters that they were tipped off by an anonymous individual who claimed the Bone Pub on Petch Trakun Road in the Nong Prue district was open. When police arrived at the location, it was closed and locked at first glance, but they found vehicles in the parking area and sounds coming from inside.

After officials had asked a guard to unlock the venue, they reportedly found several people drinking alcohol and singing without masks or social distancing, in violation of Chon Buri’s Covid-19 guidelines. According to reports, eight Chinese and Thai nationals tested positive for illegal drugs, but police did not mention which drugs they tested positive for.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News