Thai police allegedly ignore desperate gamblers appeal for help - they put the phone down because the call came from a casino

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: They claimed...trickery

 

Daily News reported on an alarming case in which a group of gamblers had been winning at cards known as Dragon Tiger at a casino under the Prasert Manutham expressway section in Bangkok.

 

The gamblers had been at the tables for three days and the third was August 19th. 

 

At 6 pm on that day two representatives of the casino invited the group to a second floor room where it was claimed they had been cheating at the tables leading to big losses for the house.

 

The gamblers called 191 for help telling them that they were being held against their will and needed help.

 

When it was confirmed that they were indeed calling from a casino 191 contact ceased and couldn't be reestablished.

 

Then another casino rep came into the room saying that someone had tried to call the police.

 

They were all bundled into a van being told they were off to a police station. 

 

They were instead taken to a vacant area near the Chonburi Motorway where they were held for an hour and a half.

 

At this time they later discovered the police made a trip to the casino.

 

They were then put back in the van and returned to the casino after the police had dropped in.

 

At about midnight the group was split up and individually attacked including having black bags placed over heads, noses and mouths held shut and suffering body assault to try and extort money.

 

The assailants said they were soldiers. They kept repeating "how much money have you got, give it all to us".

 

There were ten assailants.

 

Finally after their severe beating through the night the victims were forced into transferring 5 million baht to their assailants.

 

They were then put back in the van and dumped in Sukhaphiban 5 Road at about 6 am. 

 

They were told that if they reported what had happened they would be murdered.

 

They were informed that all their data on their Thai ID's had been recorded. Including their addresses. 

 

In September one member of the victims' group decided to go to the police chief responsible for this part of Bangkok.

 

But he found that the charge was just  "causing losses" against the casino. Eventually after contact with the casino rep this victim managed to get back 500,000 baht but had earlier been extorted out of 2 million. 

 

The police hid behind the fact that the losses came from gambling, ignoring the gravity of the assault.

 

Now all five victims have approached online community action group Sai Mai Tong Rort.

 

It's founder Ekkaphop Leuangprasert said that the casino in question is a big operation with many different types of games available including Dragon Tiger and  baccarat all under one roof. 

 

There are people gambling there all day and all night.

 

He called what had happened "robbery" not "causing losses". What took place was a serious crime. 

 

He called the police response "unusual".

 

And putting a plastic bag over someone's head could be attempted murder. 

 

Phones and jewelry were also missing from the victims. There has been no mention of a police report. 

 

He intended to take the matter up with the local chief. 

 

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[engamann]

5555 god luck , who do you think run most of this places !!! Start look at the boys in brown and green and you have your answers.

[kingstonkid]

At some point, the idea of quitting while they were ahead should have kicked in.

 

If anyone remembers the good old days of Vegas, people back then that won too much money were convinced that it was not a good thing.

 

Looking at the game it seems that it would be a great game for card counters and we know what they thought of and can all remember what happened to people that were counting.

 

Legal casinos do not like to lose.  I am sure that the illegal ones really hate to lose and really have no worries about what they do.  

 

Imagine getting into a back room poker game and winning and they find out you are cheating them in the west?

 

[jacko45k]

The call to the police was soon known to the casino operators....  bit of a giveaway!

[bradiston]

Seems a bit naive to imagine the police would bail you out of doing something illegal. No doubt though, these casinos seem to be run by thugs. Trouble is, the bib are nearly always implicated. The whole thing is rotten to the core. Gambling is like any hard drug. Addictive and ruinous. The casino operator thugs know their customers.

[djayz]

Anybody who gambles 3 days straight needs more than just help from the police. 

[xtrnuno41]

Amazing, if you play bridge in Thailand, you are busted. This casino exist and working 24/7?!

I thought it wasnt allowed in Thailand. As Engamann said, it looks that way. 

[ukrules]

This is a classic example of absolute corruption at every level.

[mikeymike100]

"Phones and jewelry were also missing from the victims. There has been no mention of a police report."

 

Why would there be a police report, they are the ones that took them?????

[Photoguy21]

So Casino's are legal? Since when were they legal?

[mikeymike100]

9 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

So Casino's are legal? Since when were they legal?

In Thailand casinos are illegal, unless they are controlled by the police, then they become "legal"?????

[Photoguy21]

1 minute ago, mikeymike100 said:

In Thailand casinos are illegal, unless they are controlled by the police, then they become "legal"?????

Obviously but it does show something when an illegal entity is openly discussed on a forum like this.

[Reigntax]

1 hour ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Amazing, if you play bridge in Thailand, you are busted. This casino exist and working 24/7?!

I thought it wasnt allowed in Thailand. As Engamann said, it looks that way. 

Yes because the thought of bridging anything in Lalaland is dangerous to the control of self imposed authorities

[mikeymike100]

9 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Obviously but it does show something when an illegal entity is openly discussed on a forum like this.

Yes, but everyone is anonymous, nobody knows who you are or where you are, assuming when you registered you didn't put your real name?????

But it does say something, in that the police just dont seem to care if they get found out?

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Did anyone expect a different outcome especially here in Thailand where it is known probably all of the casinos  operate with full knowledge of the police 

[TheFishman1]

Interesting the casino new place recalled probably owned by the Chinese and the police TIT

[bradiston]

6 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Yes, but everyone is anonymous, nobody knows who you are or where you are, assuming when you registered you didn't put your real name?????

But it does say something, in that the police just dont seem to care if they get found out?

Protected by their colleagues and senior officers. Impunity almost same as immunity. Until the wheels come off, and the lid!

[Jackbenimble]

these corrupt officials get away with it because everyone is in on it. If it was a handful or one two officers they'd be in the brown stuff. But they make sure those above get their cut and everything is rosy. 

THAT right there is how the country operates and the "paying it up" goes to the very top.

[MrJ2U]

Just legalize it.

 

I guess that would be to simple.   

[soalbundy]

13 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Just legalize it.

 

I guess that would be to simple.   

A lot of high ranking people who serve the people and protect the nation rely on it being illegal for extra income.

[Bangkok Barry]

Two thoughts on this. They would certainly have known that it was likely that the police would have knowledge that the casino was operating, so must have been desperate to call them and only did so as a 'last resort'. And notice how talk of having legal casinos has gone quiet - again? Thailand, unlike its neighbours, doesn't have them for a very good reason, and it isn't to stop people who can't afford it gambling. 

[orchidfan]

I recall a cross border visit on the close Cambodian border.....back in the day before 12 month extensions...

 

My wife being Thai was an avid gambler and so off we went to a Blackjack table at the "very available" nearby legal Cambodian casino. 

 

Luckily we were accompanied by a Thai copper (friend ) who worked at the border (Imm).

 

She kept winning......I couldn't believe it! (She a Macao addict )

 

At 20,000 baht up, our "friend" politely suggested we should "leave now" ..... wife protesting of course, but I told her, "we're out of here" ..... and we did with the 20k and still alive. 

[petedk]

1 hour ago, TheFishman1 said:

Interesting the casino new place recalled probably owned by the Chinese and the police TIT

You forgot the military.

[candide]

So, if I understand well, gamblers have been robbed in an illegal casino and ultimately complained to the police. Instead of arresting the casino owners and managers for illegal activity (on top of robbery), they just negotiated with the casino to give back some of the money stolen. ????

All this now exposed in the media, apparently without any consequence.

[BangkokReady]

Quote

Thai police allegedly ignore desperate gamblers appeal for help

8 hours ago, webfact said:

the police made a trip to the casino.

I'm not sure that both of these statements can be correct.

[daveAustin]

They called the police? Would’ve been better off calling the A Team… if they could find them of course. 

[Colabamumbai]

Colluption it's our life. 

[NobbyClarke]

The Chinese run the Casino, 

Nothing more to be said....

 

[Spock]

4 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

In Thailand casinos are illegal, unless they are controlled by the police, then they become "legal"?????

Whatever the legality of gambling in Thailand, Thai police no doubt profit from it and turn a blind eye to those who are cheated or exploited by gambling operators. The country will never be able to claim to being a civilized nation until it cleans up the force that is meant to enforce law and protect people rather than exploit them.

[thailand49]

Get Big Joke on it!????