A Pattaya nightclub allegedly owned by a Chinese national faces a five-year closure after a botched raid by police allowed more than 200 patrons to escape after testing positive for drugs.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, Deputy Inspector General of the Royal Thai Police, chaired a meeting with Police Region 2 and Pattaya police October 24th, to discuss a contentious incident where more than 200 patrons at Club One Pattaya were able to escape an inspection after some were reportedly being found to have taken illegal drugs.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, deputy inspector-general for the Royal Thai Police, met with Provincial Police Region 2 and Pattaya police officials to discuss the next steps after the 3 a.m. Oct. 23 raid on Club One on Phettrakul Road.
Pattaya and Chonburi police were joined by city and Banglamung District officials in the operation that saw everyone tested for drugs. Some refused to take the tests and chaos ensued with people pushing past police lines, even those who had tested positive.
Police soon found themselves alone in the pub, picking up packets of drugs scattered around the floor.
Police also were confronted by Club One’s manager, Nitipat Chokchaithanaphorn, who screamed at police, demanding to know why they were harassing his business, claiming he was friends with Chonburi’s governor and that they recently had dinner together.
The governor’s office denied even knowing Nitipat. Later that day, the manager admitted he didn’t know the governor and said he lied because he was drunk. He apologized, but said he was powerless to stop patrons from bringing in drugs.
The governor also defended police, saying the gates to the club were not locked to prevent a violent confrontation, as most patrons were intoxicated. There were simply too many people for officers to control.
Nitipat was charged with selling alcohol without a license, selling alcohol after legal hours, operating an entertainment venue without a license and failing to prevent the carrying of illegal drugs into the club. Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat also claimed the manager would be prosecuted for lying about his association with the governor, although under what Criminal Code statute that would fall as a mystery.
Nitipat, however, is not the owner of Club One. Panurat claimed the owner is a Chinese national known only as “Gu Yeo” who is wanted in connection with money laundering and drug cases.
Police planned to submit an order to Chonburi Province to close Club One for five years.
 |
 |
 |
