Provincial Police Commander Leads Raids On Insomnia And Lucifer’s Disco’s On Walking Street

[Rimmer]

Late on Monday Night, Police Major General Tanaert, the Chonburi Provincial Police Commander led an operation to check a number of bars and pubs around the Pattaya area. The Police Teams were ordered to conduct drug tests on patrons and staff members and check for licenses and ensure they are current and relevant to the venue. Two locations of interest that were raided included Club Insomnia and Lucifer’s Discotheque, both located on Walking Street. The venues were shut down and patrons and staff members were drug tested, however we understand that foreign patrons were allowed to leave after brief checks. At the end of the operation a total of 7 Thai Women were arrested after they failed a drugs test and were taken back to Pattaya Police Station and processed. Nothing else untoward was found and the venues were allowed to re-open to the relief of the owners who are hoping to cash-in on the busy New Year Period here in Pattaya.

www.pattayaone.net

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29 Dec 2009

[chiang mai]

Cool, let's hear it for the Provincial guys.

[moo9]

Isn't that getting boring? Not enough money in the pockets for the New Years Party?

Before targeting the "night life", there are various other things to be put in order across the city.

But well, I forgot, as seen on Pattaya News, we are in a Worldclass Holiday Destination

We need more Mantras, Icebars and Cocktail Lounges and other overpriced venues!!!

[chiang mai]

Note: Provincial Police, not the local guys, that's significant.

[NanLaew]

^ If you say so.

[Thongkorn]

Note: Provincial Police, not the local guys, that's significant.

Its about time , Lucifer's is a known drug den , The staff are aggressive, Only went in once just to look , the smell and the place was enough to make me leave after two minutes. Maybe The provincial police are on orders from somebody higher in the Government.

[DonTron]

I dont get it... there are 3-4 drug dealers standing in front of McDonals/Starbucks advertising and selling drugs night after night after night... and they go after the disco's

What am I missing here?

[basjke]

Its about time , Lucifer's is a known drug den , The staff are aggressive, Only went in once just to look , the smell and the place was enough to make me leave after two minutes.

You must be a super detective as you have noticed all that in just 2 minutes.

[moo9]

Note: Provincial Police, not the local guys, that's significant.

Its about time , Lucifer's is a known drug den , The staff are aggressive, Only went in once just to look , the smell and the place was enough to make me leave after two minutes. Maybe The provincial police are on orders from somebody higher in the Government.

You know a lot from just going there 1 time! I don't know about drugs, but the staff is usually friendly, never had any bad experience there.

So what?

[Thongkorn]

Its about time , Lucifer's is a known drug den , The staff are aggressive, Only went in once just to look , the smell and the place was enough to make me leave after two minutes.

You must be a super detective as you have noticed all that in just 2 minutes.

After walking past the place for months on End year after year some times things stand out , maybe to a three week milionare it does not,

[basjke]

Its about time , Lucifer's is a known drug den , The staff are aggressive, Only went in once just to look , the smell and the place was enough to make me leave after two minutes.

You must be a super detective as you have noticed all that in just 2 minutes.

After walking past the place for months on End year after year some times things stand out , maybe to a three week milionare it does not,

Oh it gets even better,you know what is going on inside even with jusdt walking past.You must have a sixth sense.

Oh and don't worry about me being a 3 week millionaire,I live here for the past 15 years.( as a millionaire)

[sharecropper]

I would love to think this was all about better policing, but given these bent boneheads at Soi 9, the Tourist Police, Banglamung Police and Chonburi police couldn't even be bothered to establish a proper police prescence in one of the most busy (and like it or hate it - seedily controversial) streets in the world, with all the problems that brings, makes me wonder at the priorities of the police and City Hall here.

With no snide sideswipe at the TPV/FTPV the real police have basically abandoned responsibility for the proper policing of Walking Street to foreigners and Thai volunteers, and the only time they could be arsed doing anything about it is when they raid a fatted calf.

It's disgusting.

If i were a police assistant, this would bother me the most. That I am allowing these lazy swinding di*kheads to sit around planning self-interested raids on Walking Street bars instead of being down there night after night sharing the serious responsibility of properly policing it, which is what they should be doing.

[Naam]

"At the end of the operation a total of 7 Thai Women were arrested after they failed a drugs test and were taken back to Pattaya Police Station and processed."

how were they processed?

[thainet]

I would love to think this was all about better policing, but given these bent boneheads at Soi 9, the Tourist Police, Banglamung Police and Chonburi police couldn't even be bothered to establish a proper police prescence in one of the most busy (and like it or hate it - seedily controversial) streets in the world, with all the problems that brings, makes me wonder at the priorities of the police and City Hall here.

With no snide sideswipe at the TPV/FTPV the real police have basically abandoned responsibility for the proper policing of Walking Street to foreigners and Thai volunteers, and the only time they could be arsed doing anything about it is when they raid a fatted calf.

It's disgusting.

If i were a police assistant, this would bother me the most. That I am allowing these lazy swinding di*kheads to sit around planning self-interested raids on Walking Street bars instead of being down there night after night sharing the serious responsibility of properly policing it, which is what they should be doing.

Thainet's reply is:

Actually Sharecopper I agree with you on your last sentence, but I believe this is one of the main reasons the FTPA do this.

ie: Most problems on Walking Str are dealt with in a much fairer fashion (especially where foreigners are involved, but equally for all nationalities) than in other parts of the town.

Problems of many types are cleared with skilled negotiations and fairness to all parties, saving time, unnecessary jail terms and kudos from foreigners and locals alike who would otherwise have had their holiday shattered by some incident.

The Thai Police (of whichever Branch they belong to) are not equipped in training, English skills or patience to deal with most of these problems and therefore their main responses are---you bad, you got jail or you pay her/him money etc etc. Believe me (as I've posted many times in the past) Walking Str is much much better off with having the FTPA's there, than hordes of Thai police. Go and watch them sometimes--it's impressive what they do.

The other thing to remember is in this order:::Narcotics Squad, Bangkok, Chonburi, Provincial, Pattaya. This is the Police heirachy for accountability ie: When forces from the first two make raids anywhere in the country, the lower groups are normally not informed until the hit, to minimise leaks etc.

The last important point is manpower. Even though you think you see lots of police, Thailand's police forces are severely undermanned owing to extremely low budgets, in a country which really needs it's police presence, especially in the tourists spots as pointed out before. This budget crisis of course leads to corruption, which leads to etc etc---you get the point.

Other than a few flower sellers, couple of freak shows, a snake here or there, Walking Str is extremely safe and fun, especially when you factor in the diversity of nightlife, nationalities, personaltities and the sheer number of people that pass thru it's portals every night.

Hope you've found this informative.

[sharecropper]

Thanks for your post Thainet. I think my main point of irritaiton is that the police of whatever stripe can find the manpower to raid these bars and to collect their tea money down there, and not even pretend to be interested in policing it generally.

I take your point about whether we would actually WANT them to assume full responsibility for policing Walking Street, although the role of FTPA is an esential one I think, even if the police did try to set up a visible profile there.

I assume you are a FTPA? If so, what kind f crimes/incidents ae you dealing with mostly this high season?

[thainet]

Thanks for your post Thainet. I think my main point of irritaiton is that the police of whatever stripe can find the manpower to raid these bars and to collect their tea money down there, and not even pretend to be interested in policing it generally.

I take your point about whether we would actually WANT them to assume full responsibility for policing Walking Street, although the role of FTPA is an esential one I think, even if the police did try to set up a visible profile there.

I assume you are a FTPA? If so, what kind f crimes/incidents ae you dealing with mostly this high season?

Actually I am a business owner on WS for many years (as you'll see from some of my past posts) and have actively supported and admired the FTPA on WS. I have personally called on them numerous times to sort out problems at my establishment, and it's always worked out without violence and in fairness to whatever party is involved. So yes I give them a big thumbs up. I am personally friendly with at least half of them and chat with at least 2-3 of them every night.

From conversations I'd say most incidents involve drink in some shape or form and probably over 80% have a foreigner involved, another reason for the Foreign Assistants.

I applaud you in being another person who actually understand the excellent work these guys do.

Happy New Year....thainet

[Rimmer]

Thanks thainet for an interesting insight into a difficult problem.

[Satanza]

Thanks thainet for an interesting insight into a difficult problem.

Yes,but it has nothing to do with the topic.

[Ohio]

Thanks thainet for an interesting insight into a difficult problem.

Yes,but it has nothing to do with the topic.

According to the UN Stats Thailand rates 5th out of 47 for more Police per head of population , on another site it also rates as the 3rd most Corrupt.

I must admit I am always a little surprised when I stay in Pattaya that unless there is some special function happening there are hardly any actual Police about , but there is a plethora of 'Assistants' which seems to increase every year.

I haven't seen any 'Assistants' in Bangkok in my memory. No matter how it is coated , Pattaya has a rep as a Sex tourist spot & one would think that would encourage a large Police presence :- 1. To eradicate it 2. To improve the image to encourage 'normal' Tourism

Now I have supplied a brief bit of levity I must retire to my New Years 'Hair of the Dog' celebration .

May 2010 bring you all you wish for folks.

[sharecropper]

According to the UN Stats Thailand rates 5th out of 47 for more Police per head of population

It does make you wonder how it is that we never see police around much except at road(side robbery)blocks, and checkpoints waving through "official" cars and actually when you go inside a police station.

In Pattaya people are always telling me there are not enough police officers employed to properly police the city, which is why the FTPA are so useful (which i don't doubt) so where are they all?

[Rimmer]

I am not sure how all these threads end up discussing Tourist police Volunteers but in any case I'm going to close this thread before it goes off the rails.

A number of posts and replies deleted at the posters personal request.

*CLOSED*