Pattaya clubs and police deny allegations of bribes

Netizens believe a photo circulating on social media, showing a list of names and numbers, reveals the names and numbers of police officers involved in soliciting bribes from local businesses. The officers and business owners allegedly named deny any wrongdoing.

In the fallout of the Club One Pattaya drug raid, both Pattaya Police and venue owners are denying claims of bribery and corruption. The manager of Club One complained during the raid that he had connections with the Chon Buri Governor and a deal with local police, prompting the flood of social media scrutiny.

After the raid, viral social media posts shared photos that imply evidence of local police taking bribes from clubs. The photos show the Chief Commander of Chonburi Police eating at an unidentified venue with a group of other Pattaya Police officials. Another photograph purportedly reveals a paper on that table with the diners containing a handwritten note.

The note lists many well-known nightlife entertainment venues in the area with numbers next to them. Online commenters believe that these numbers represent bribes paid to the police so bar and club owners can bend and break laws regarding club operations.

Representatives of both the venues on the list and the police deny any truth to these photos and call them fake. They could be right; some of the names on the list belong to venues that closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

TPN National News reported a press conference was called last night at 10pm to discuss the photos. Representatives acknowledged that the photos of the police officers eating a meal together were real, but there was no corruption involved. They said it was just a group of co-workers celebrating a promotion. Officers were said to have met with venue operators to discuss new policies and police rules but not solicit bribes.

The chairman of the Pattaya Nightlife Business Association expressed disappointment. She said that tourism is just starting to recover and these false allegations would push police to crack down and harm tourism again. Venue operators pledged to take legal action against the people publishing the photos and allegations of police bribes, and anyone who perpetuated those rumours.