A Pattaya gambling bust ended in nine arrests yesterday, October 15, after police investigating an illegal card game heard loud cheering from a condominium room in Jomtien and discovered the players had left the door unlocked.
The arrests took place at around 7.30pm after Pattaya City Police received an anonymous tip-off about an illegal Pok Deng card game (a Thai gambling game in which players bet against a dealer, aiming for a hand value of up to nine), prompting officers to investigate the property.
The superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station ordered a special operations team to investigate the suspected gambling activity under a crime prevention campaign directed by the Chon Buri provincial police commander.
Officers conducted surveillance at the condominium and reportedly confirmed that a group of women had gathered inside a room to gamble.
As police approached the unit, they could hear the players cheering loudly during the card game. They then discovered that the door had been left unlocked, allowing officers to enter without forcing their way inside.
All nine women were arrested at the scene. Police seized more than 12,500 baht in cash and three decks of playing cards as evidence.
One of the women, a 58 year old identified by the pseudonym Jor, was accused of acting as the game’s dealer.
The remaining eight women were charged with participating in illegal gambling, while the suspected dealer was charged with organising gambling without permission.
During the arrests, the women allegedly attempted to offer bribes to the officers, according to the police account reported by FM91. However, no additional bribery charges were reported.
The suspects also reportedly questioned whether police had secretly fitted a GPS tracking device to follow them, expressing surprise that officers had discovered their gathering.
They claimed that this was the first time they had arranged to play together and insisted that their bets were no more than 100 baht per hand.
Following the raid, all nine women were taken into custody along with the seized cash and playing cards. Police documented the arrests before transferring the suspects and evidence to investigators at Pattaya City Police Station for further legal proceedings.
In related news:
- Chinese restaurant in Pattaya busted for gambling, 18 arrested
- Man arrested after Phuket officials deem festival games gambling
- Laos gambling crackdown sends 130 Thais back home
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