Police swooped down upon a “suspicious” closed barbecue restaurant in central Pattaya and were shocked to find it was being renovated into a large casino thought to be owned by a Chinese investor. They reportedly seized the building.
Deputy National Police chief Surachate Hakpal had urgently ordered Trat and Chonburi police to investigate the suspicious building in Pattaya owned by the Chinese man who planned to allegedly conduct a shady business.
The building used to be a large Thai barbecue restaurant but it was closed for renovation.
The police, armed with a search warrant, turned up in force at the building and promptly handed it to the person who claimed to be a keeper – a 17-year-old who lives in Sattahip district.
On entering the building, the police were shocked: they found it was being renovated into a large baccarat casino.
Inside they found a carpeted hall, a chip exchange room, two VIP rooms, a security room, a little kitchen, washrooms, storage room and two rooms for accommodation.
The police also came across six baccarat tables, a Dragon Tiger table, 500 dice, around 400-500 decks of cards and other gambling equipment. All furniture was spanking new.
The police seized all items and detained the teen keeper in a bid to find the real owner.
According to a brief investigation, the casino was being built on a 16-rai plot of land. The building has been owned by the Chinese investor since 2016. The land had been separated to construct a boxing stadium, karaoke, Thai barbecue restaurant and Chinese restaurant, which were closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The police are conducting a thorough investigation to find the owner as they only know he is a Chinese male named Ming.
Source: The Nation