Open till dawn! Raid at South Pattaya pub nets 15 for drug taking - governor set to shut it for good

[kingstonkid]

20 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The law and rules are whatever the cop says they are at the time. Try arguing about it and see what happens.

BB  the easy answer is YES.

 

But then again I would probably want to do it at the police station.  Could get messy diong it ont he street.

[pjthefey]

I've never been there to know what it's like with it's dark, but I've got to say with the lights on it's not living up to its name.

[DJ54]

5 hours ago, biervoormij said:

Is it only required to submit to a drug test if you are in a club that is open after hours?

Don’t know if you have to or not. Driving from Bangkok to Udon Thani on Highway 2 …. Police stop

all cars directed to the parking area / restroom stop. There was a long line for Men and Women 

restroom for <deleted> test. I got waved through the parking lot….  but the a high percentage of people

were sent to test…

[mrfill]

2 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Ironic that this anti-drug activity should be taking place against the backdrop of liberalisation of cannabis consumption (maybe temporary).

 

A nation of mixed and uncoordinated messages.

Not really. Many countries have liberal laws on drugs like cannabis and alcohol but still are strict on other drugs like yaba and cocaine.

[Flink]

7 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

This has been happening in Thailand for ages mate, why are you surprised?

 

tbh I don't know how they pick their targets. Local police know what's what so when the big boss Pol Maj Gen from Region 2 comes in to "take over" does he tell the locals to cough up a few names for show or does he get his boys to do some actual legwork?

 

Clubs that flaunt closing times are a good target for drug raids. Once you get on the drugs you want to party all night so it makes sense that you'd find more drug takers at such places. As opposed to say, the Christian Science Reading Room.

 

I stopped taking illicit drugs a long time ago and even if I were to start again these Thai clubs don't float my boat. So I have no reason to try and figure out what the best tactic is if you're caught up in a raid. But from what I've picked up over the years you don't have much of a choice, especially in this case where the Regional police big boss is on some kind of holy mission.

Can't be legwork by the plod. A bar that has no licence, surely it is open during normal working hours. Do the police not get regular licensing updates? Surely they have known this place existed and was operating illegally for ages. More likely that the envelopes weren't full enough for the number of people hanging out in there and THAT'S why it was raided.

[Kerryd]

It is almost routine that when the police raid a club - anywhere, at any time - they do urine tests on everyone. And I mean everyone. If your test comes out purple (indicating drug use) it's off to the station with you. (You may want to call your lawyer before you get there.)

I remember when they were doing some crack-downs on Walking Street a few years ago. It made the news when they raided Lucifers and a number of (locals) broke through the police lines and ran off down the street.
There's basically one way in and out of Lucifers and (the last time I was there) it was down a hallway behind another bar. When the cops raided the place, there was a rush for the door and a couple dozen people apparently were able to push their way through and escape.

Everyone else, foreigner and Thai, had to do a p-test. They nabbed a few people and found some discarded drugs in the club (probably dropped by the people who ran for the door).

I recall one night coming back from the bars on the Harley. The girl I was bringing home was following on her scooter. We ran into a police check on the railway bypass road just before the Boonsamphan intersection.
I pulled up, cop looks at me and waves me through. I carry on but the girl got stopped. She showed up nearly 30 minutes later because they decided she had to do a p-test, right there on the side of the road.

Luckily she was clean. Had her test been purple they would have tossed her in the police wagon they had waiting and eventually take her to soi 9. She would have been stuck there for hours waiting for an official report to be drawn up and then had to pay a large fine. (1,000 baht or so.)

I think that was about the standard fine they were handing out back then as long as you didn't have any drugs on you.

And no, they don't need your permission and you don't have a "right" to say no. 

Same for the breathalyzer test. If you refuse to blow, that's a crime and they can (and will) haul you to the closest hospital and have them draw a blood sample and test it.

Which they will also do if you've been in an accident. And you can't say no to that either.

You're not in (insert liberal Western country that is soft on drugs and criminals here) anymore Toto !

 

[bbi1]

7 hours ago, jimn said:

Its a Thai club, nothing to do with Tourism or farangs. These clubs are everywhere in Pattaya in non tourist areas.

Quite a number of other asians and a handful of farangs also go to Thai clubs.

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

I remember when they were doing some crack-downs on Walking Street a few years ago. It made the news when they raided Lucifers and a number of (locals) broke through the police lines and ran off down the street.
There's basically one way in and out of Lucifers and (the last time I was there) it was down a hallway behind another bar. When the cops raided the place, there was a rush for the door and a couple dozen people apparently were able to push their way through and escape.

 

They really did this at Lucifers on Walking St? What year was that? Not a good look for all the tourists that go to that club and Walking St.

[David T Pike]

I suppose that cannabis is one of those "drugs". Laughable. SMH.

What other countries outside of Communist ones are they allowed to take your urine without permission or probable cause?

[biervoormij]

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

It is almost routine that when the police raid a club - anywhere, at any time - they do urine tests on everyone. And I mean everyone. If your test comes out purple (indicating drug use) it's off to the station with you. (You may want to call your lawyer before you get there.)

I remember when they were doing some crack-downs on Walking Street a few years ago. It made the news when they raided Lucifers and a number of (locals) broke through the police lines and ran off down the street.
There's basically one way in and out of Lucifers and (the last time I was there) it was down a hallway behind another bar. When the cops raided the place, there was a rush for the door and a couple dozen people apparently were able to push their way through and escape.

Everyone else, foreigner and Thai, had to do a p-test. They nabbed a few people and found some discarded drugs in the club (probably dropped by the people who ran for the door).

I recall one night coming back from the bars on the Harley. The girl I was bringing home was following on her scooter. We ran into a police check on the railway bypass road just before the Boonsamphan intersection.
I pulled up, cop looks at me and waves me through. I carry on but the girl got stopped. She showed up nearly 30 minutes later because they decided she had to do a p-test, right there on the side of the road.

Luckily she was clean. Had her test been purple they would have tossed her in the police wagon they had waiting and eventually take her to soi 9. She would have been stuck there for hours waiting for an official report to be drawn up and then had to pay a large fine. (1,000 baht or so.)

I think that was about the standard fine they were handing out back then as long as you didn't have any drugs on you.

And no, they don't need your permission and you don't have a "right" to say no. 

Same for the breathalyzer test. If you refuse to blow, that's a crime and they can (and will) haul you to the closest hospital and have them draw a blood sample and test it.

Which they will also do if you've been in an accident. And you can't say no to that either.

You're not in (insert liberal Western country that is soft on drugs and criminals here) anymore Toto !

 

Thanks for your post. I had a real misunderstanding of the consequences of testing positive for drug use. I thought that it could possibly involve prison time. If it is only a fine I now understand the casual nature of the reports that 15 people tested positive for using drugs. I also understand why people do not fight getting tested like they did back in October at the CLUB ONE raid in Pattaya.

 

If the fine is still 1,000 baht it is about equal to the new fine for riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

 

 

 

 

 

[JeffersLos]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

4.30 am

loud music

purple or positive results.

drugs in ziplock bags were found in the toilets and by a fire exit.

I think this was the driving crew the last time I took an overnight bus to Roi-Et. 

[spermwhale]

12 hours ago, biervoormij said:

I am surprised at all the mass drug testing. Do you have to submit to a drug test anytime the police ask for one?

 

Does everyone have to stand in line while a cop watches them pee on a stick or is there a different type of test?

Yes. If Thai police ask for a drug test, you have to comply. They send you behind a screen with a cup to pee in it or in the bathroom. One by one. 

[spermwhale]

12 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

Why are you surprised, it's been in the news for the last week or so. 

This practice has been going on for more than two decades

[Harveyboy]

14 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Read a number of these cases recently.....dumb as rocks......

 

........turn the music down or even better, off...........Don't annoy the locals and make sure you pay the right amounts to the right people.

 

Job done.

electric cigarettes oh my god ...life in the Bkk Hilton..no pardons 

[Harveyboy]

1 hour ago, David T Pike said:

I suppose that cannabis is one of those "drugs". Laughable. SMH.

What other countries outside of Communist ones are they allowed to take your urine without permission or probable cause?

yes that's taking the P#ss mate

[freedomnow]

6am par for the course back in day in after-hours places...out the door into sunlight wasted - ouch !

 

[n00dle]

15 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Read a number of these cases recently.....dumb as rocks......

 

........turn the music down or even better, off...........Don't annoy the locals and make sure you pay the right amounts to the right people.

 

Job done.

Yup no music is the best business choice. That keeps the punters going until the wee hours. 

You sure know your stuff. 

[Lemsta69]

1 hour ago, spermwhale said:

This practice has been going on for more than two decades

Yes I know, however it has not been in the news until recently. Covid put quite the dampener on things, remember?

[Lemsta69]

6 hours ago, Flink said:

Can't be legwork by the plod. A bar that has no licence, surely it is open during normal working hours. Do the police not get regular licensing updates? Surely they have known this place existed and was operating illegally for ages. More likely that the envelopes weren't full enough for the number of people hanging out in there and THAT'S why it was raided.

The raid wasn't led by Pattaya police so I'm really not buying the too-light "brown envelopes" angle. 

 

IMHO this is some kind of political play by Pol Maj Gen Suwanlaong to show his superiors that he's the man. OR he's under orders from above to make a big song and dance for a week or two to show after which things will go back to normal.

[Stargeezr]

Good job to the RTP. I will never support any place that stays open beyond the legal hours.

  

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The pub is being prosecuted for not having a license, having no license to serve alcohol, allowing drug taking on the premises and contravening regulations regarding e-cigarettes and shisha. 

Yet another unlicensed establishment..

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, timendres said:

A drug test can be requested for any suspicion of drug use. Being in an illegal club during banned hours, I suspect, constitutes enough suspicion. That said, I believe you are within your rights to insist the test be performed at the police station.

Which is the last lace you want to find yourself.

[CH1961]

14 hours ago, vivananahuahin said:

Bad for the tourism

It was a thai club ⚠️

[pacovl46]

''Allowing" drug taking??? Please do show me how you prevent people from taking drugs in a club!!! If they want to take it they will, obviously they weren't doing lines on a table right in front of everyone! 

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, d4dang said:

to be reopened in a new location with a new name in a couple of weeks by the same owners paying the same officials more.

Maybe even in the same location. 

[Evil Penevil]

I don't know if the BiB have recently changed their routines, but for decades farang caught up in raids on nightspots were never forced to give a urine sample.  They were simply told to pay their tabs and leave.  There were a few exceptions if a farang was obviously tweeking or got belligent with police, but those exceptions were few and far between over the years.

[mikebell]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

despite not having a number the property was still attached to utilities such as water and electric.

How do they manage this?  Asking for a friend.

[jimn]

11 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Quite a number of other asians and a handful of farangs also go to Thai clubs.

Koreans maybe. Yes the odd farang. About 0.1%

[bbi1]

2 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

I don't know if the BiB have recently changed their routines, but for decades farang caught up in raids on nightspots were never forced to give a urine sample.  They were simply told to pay their tabs and leave.  There were a few exceptions if a farang was obviously tweeking or got belligent with police, but those exceptions were few and far between over the years.

Everybody pays their "tab" when they get their drink. I've never for the life of me seen a nightclub where you get a "tab" and pay at the end just before you leave. Imaging the nightmare trying to get people to pay, when tons of people are coming and going in and out of the nightclubs.

[Will B Good]

9 hours ago, n00dle said:

Yup no music is the best business choice. That keeps the punters going until the wee hours. 

You sure know your stuff. 

Well they are not going now are they?.....you seem to know your stuff???