Pattaya-
At 12:30 p.m. on May 1st, 2025, Pol. Col. Anake Sarathongyoo, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, received a tip from a concerned citizen about illegal gambling at a restaurant on Moo 10 in Nongprue Subdistrict. He ordered Pol. Lt. Col. Siriwat Khachamat, Deputy Superintendent (Prevention), and Pol. Maj. Suchart Dusadee, Inspector (Prevention), to lead the Pattaya City Police Special Operations Unit to make the arrests.
Inside the restaurant, officers found a group of people enthusiastically playing pok deng (card game). Upon spotting the police, they attempted to flee but were all apprehended, totaling 10 individuals—9 Thais and 1 Cambodian. The police seized one deck of cards and an amount of cash as evidence. Mr. Natthaphong Saowakul, 39, from Chachoengsao Province was identified as the dealer.
During questioning, all suspects confessed to gathering with friends to play pok deng for money, claiming it was for fun and not an organized gambling den. Nevertheless, Mr. Natthaphong was charged with “organizing illegal gambling for property gain,” while the other nine were charged with “participating in illegal gambling for property gain.”
All were handed over to the Pattaya City Police Station investigators for further legal proceedings.
