Pattaya —
Pattaya police inspected entertainment venues around the city on the night of June 12th but found no illegal activities.
A video of the raid can be found on our YouTube channel here.
The raid was prompted in the Pattaya area, following an order from the Pattaya Police Chief, Pol. Col. Navin Teerawit. The operation aimed to prevent and suppress all forms of crime, as well as ensure the safety of tourists and residents in Pattaya.
As part of the inspection, officers were divided into teams to visit various establishments. At a particular nightclub named “Yes Pattaya,” they found a large number of customers partying inside around 2:30 A.M. this morning.
Officers ordered the venue to cease all activities, turn off the music, and turn on the lights. They then proceeded to check the IDs and conduct drug urine tests on all patrons and staff, but no one was found to be underage or have any illegal substances in their system. Officers also searched the vehicles of patrons parked outside, but no illegal items were discovered. Both of these law enforcement activities are legal in Thailand.
The inspection continued at other night venues, and no evidence of wrongdoing was found. However, all establishments were ordered to close for the night since it was already beyond legal closing times
This has been part of a number of raids over the past week and a half targeting mainly Thai oriented nightclubs. These raids started after a major operation at the Dirty Pub in Pattaya led to the arrest of over 200 people for being positive for illegal drugs, as we reported here.
Pattaya police have vowed to continue the raids, although they have not seemed to target discos or clubs frequented by foreign tourists so far.