Bangkok gambling den shut down, 70 arrested
The raid followed complaints from residents in Sai Mai district's Saphan Mai area, who said the illegal hub had caused insecurity and addiction among family members, according to the Department of Provincial Administration (DoPA) under the Ministry of Interior.
Investigators said the den, located 300 metres from a skytrain station, was well-organised, with a phone deposit system, food services and multiple escape doors.
Games included hi-lo and online gambling on provided computers.
Officials surrounded every exit, preventing gamblers from fleeing during the raid. Over 70 people were apprehended, and more than 800,000 baht in cash was seized.
The operators were identified as Thais and Cambodians, who rotated shifts throughout the day, said the authorities.
DoPA chief Chaiwat Chuntirapong said this operation aligned with the Interior Ministry's crackdown on criminal networks and was the first under Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who vowed to combat nationwide crime on his first day in office.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Thais working in Cambodia's Poipet opt to stay after ceasefire
About a thousand Thais working at casinos and call centres in Poipet who had expressed a wish to return home changed their minds and went back to work after learning about the ceasefire agreement, according to cybercrime police. Scam gangs were believed operating as usual, unaffected by the fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops on the border, the commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, said on Wednesday. Checkpoint records in Sa Kaeo province show about 1,000 Thais crossed back from Cambodia on July 26, he said. Some were found to be involved in one or more of about 800 scam cases, and were being prosecuted, Pol Lt Gen Trairong said. On July 27, the CCIB was informed of another 1,000 Thai workers desiring to return to Thailand. However, after the announcement of a ceasefire from midnight Tuesday, only 74 of them returned. The rest seem to have changed their minds and continued working in the casino township of Poipet. Pol Lt Gen Trairong also warned people intending to donate to border operations and shelters to beware of scams. No government agencies had opened for donations. Cybercrime investigators were watching and would immediately take down every scam donation site they detected or learned about. Pol Maj Gen Trairong said.
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Thais working in Poipet opt to stay after ceasefire
About a thousand Thais working working at casinos and call centres in Poipet who had expressed a wish to return home changed their minds and went back to work after learning about the ceasefire agreement, according to cybercrime police. Scam gangs were believed operating as usual, unaffected by the fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops on the border, the commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, said on Wednesday. Checkpoint records in Sa Kaeo province show about 1,000 Thais crossed back from Cambodia on July 26, he said. Some were found to be involved in one or more of about 800 scam cases, and were being prosecuted, Pol Lt Gen Trairong said. On July 27, the CCIB was informed of another 1,000 Thai workers desiring to return to Thailand. However, after the announcement of a ceasefire from midnight Tuesday, only 74 of them returned. The rest seem to have changed their minds and continued working in the casino township of Poipet. Pol Lt Gen Trairong also warned people intending to donate to border operations and shelters to beware of scams. No government agencies had opened for donations. Cybercrime investigators were watching and would immediately take down every scam donation site they detected or learned about. Pol Maj Gen Trairong said.
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Ceasefire, but not online
It is welcome news that peace negotiations in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday resulted in an agreement between Thailand and Cambodia for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Despite such progress, the fight in cyberspace continues with "keyboard warriors" from both sides continuing to use fervent nationalistic rhetoric, propaganda and fake news to shape public sentiment. Examples are abundant from both sides. Needless to say, social media content from Cambodian netizens portrays Thailand as the villain that initiated the attack, and Cambodia as the victim. It is also no surprise that there is a lot of fake news. And even if the fighting ends, it is hoped that the Royal Thai Army (RTA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will collect granular details and satellite records to convince the world that Thailand and its army are defending the country. After the conflict ends and diplomatic relations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh resume, the Thai army and the foreign ministry, as well as the National Security Council, must pursue cases against the Cambodian army over the use of landmines and the launching of indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals. But for now, the Thai government as well as the media regulatory body must work harder to tackle propaganda, fake news and ultra nationalism narratives that will sow racism between the two neighbouring countries. There are reports and warnings from police about racism and discrimination against Cambodian workers in Thailand. Indeed, police must investigate such cases and guarantee full protection for Cambodian workers here. Meanwhile, the media must work harder to authenticate content and rumours from social media. Indeed, over the past week, online and traditional media have rushed to publish content from social media without verifying the facts. One glaring example was a Channel 9 news programme on Friday, which had a clip showing an unknown person being attacked. Despite the clip not providing the name of the street, news anchors were quick to say the clip showed Thai staff working at a casino in Poipet, Cambodia, being attacked by Cambodians. Questions have been raised about whether this news clip is real. What is more worrying is the impact on public perception. Likewise, an online news website in Thailand ran a video clip with a caption that Thai police warned Thais not to attack Cambodian workers. The video clip shot from a wide angle only shows a teenage hooligan beating an unknown person. There are no details of the place, names or even a police investigation. The news editor of this news site explained to the Bangkok Post that the content was sourced from the social media platform X, and they did not conduct a background check with the police. Needless to say, this news post attracted eyeballs from Cambodian netizens who shared the clip. Now, with the prospect of an end to the fighting, people of both nations, especially those living along the border, will engage in trade and interact with each other as governments and their diplomatic corps also re-engage. Yet, hate speech and fake news in cyberspace will only incubate anger and fear. An end to the hostilities on the border is not enough. The government must instruct netizens and media outlets to produce and share factual content, made in good faith and in the public's best interests.
