San Nongyai (standing)
and his drunken “gang” (seated, background) have been charged with
weapons, drugs and other offenses.
Boonlua Chatree
A drunk Pattaya Civil Defense Volunteer and three other men were
arrested on weapons, drugs and other offenses after causing a late-night
ruckus outside a Naklua karaoke bar.
Still in uniform, San Nongyai, 50, was apprehended around 1 a.m. Oct. 8
on Soi Potisan, he had a walkie-talked and an illegal weapon in a hip
holster. Civil defense volunteers cannot legally possess weapons. Also
taken into custody were the equally drunk and rowdy Naruebet Phothong,
20, Suchart Dapsifai, 20, and a 23-year-old identified only as
“Shinwat.”
Undercover police had approached the quartet after complaints from
neighbors and officers said the men bragged they were not afraid of the
police, with San claiming police couldn’t touch him as he was a
civil-defense volunteer. They were wrong.
While San had a license to carry a walkie-talkie, the model he had on
him differed from the license. The gun was also a fake, but had been
illegally modified so it could shoot a 22-caliiber bullet. The
now-former defense volunteer was charged with possession of an illegal
weapon, an illegal walkie-talkie and various counts of drunkenness and
disorderly conduct.
The other three failed drug tests and were charged with possession or
use of a Class 1 narcotic, as well as creating a public nuisance.
