British-led Card Room raided by officials in South Pattaya

[IslandLover]

Mot Dang, on 04 Feb 2016 - 04:06, said:

Oh man, I wish I could get this incident onto the world stage. How childish. Just another example that the current Thai authorities just don't want a falang expat population in Thailand. They want for Thailand essentially a Chinese/Iranian expat population, this will be more closely aligned with the foreign affairs and politics that we now see taking shape in this country.

Anywhere around the world, on any day, you will find expats (mainly of English or English extraction origin), in groups playing Bridge. For God's sake what harm are they doing ? It is a harmless (and civilised) game. Are they trving to radicalise the nation, planning a second closure of BKK, planning to smuggle 200 Angel flippen Children across the border at a secret location in the south. No, that would torment our arthritis.

I would love to see this reported on the BBC or front page Sydney Morning Herald. People have to soon see what is happening here.

It's all over the British press now, plus Washington Post and Aljazeera.

[cyberfarang]

Seems like Thailand is not such a good country to retire to after all. Scared to say boo to a goose, terrified of getting into any problems here, like school children having to tow the line. An authority that can hold you to ransom, pay up or we`ll make your life hell. At times here situations can get very scary. Scared of getting into arguments with Thais, scared of running foul of a law, scared of those in authority as their words are final.

Year by year I am becoming more and more disillusioned with this country, the novelty of living in paradise wore off long ago. Thailand maybe cheaper and appear to be a better quality of life then our own countries, but in the end we pay a heavy price and can never feel really relaxed and at home here. People that do have a false sense of security.

[peterb17]

Oh dear- last time in the UK bought a load of packs of Waddington's No 1 cards ( Brits will recognise those) for a beginners bridge class - now think I could have been arrested at the airport?

PS the classes have been abandoned for a while .

Bridge is a fiendish game - and for our more senior citizens it's an excellent game to keep the brain cells functioning .

[SiSePuede419]

Mot Dang, on 04 Feb 2016 - 04:06, said:

Oh man, I wish I could get this incident onto the world stage. How childish. Just another example that the current Thai authorities just don't want a falang expat population in Thailand. They want for Thailand essentially a Chinese/Iranian expat population, this will be more closely aligned with the foreign affairs and politics that we now see taking shape in this country.

Anywhere around the world, on any day, you will find expats (mainly of English or English extraction origin), in groups playing Bridge. For God's sake what harm are they doing ? It is a harmless (and civilised) game. Are they trving to radicalise the nation, planning a second closure of BKK, planning to smuggle 200 Angel flippen Children across the border at a secret location in the south. No, that would torment our arthritis.

I would love to see this reported on the BBC or front page Sydney Morning Herald. People have to soon see what is happening here.

It's all over the British press now, plus Washington Post and Aljazeera.

Wow! This could be the international relations equivalent of Al Capone getting arrested for tax evasion.

Maybe "social network" peer pressure will cause the Junta to rethink their policies?

555+, who am I kidding. Mai Ben rai

[Nomyai]

it starts with bridge and escalates to........................

good job pattaya police!

[IslandLover]

retarius, on 04 Feb 2016 - 04:26, said:

I thought playing cards either for money or not was illegal. Someone should send this to the Daily Mail…they would have a field day with it. Don't you think that with all the crime going on in Thailand that breaking up a bridge club was one of the lower priorities. Who sets the priorities for the BiB anyway, if it politicians then we need to look at the quality of the politicians, and if it is the BiB commanders then we need to replace them.

They have.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3431265/Thai-police-raid-nets-32-foreign-bridge-players.html

also in the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/12139797/Elderly-British-bridge-enthusiasts-nabbed-in-Thai-anti-gambling-raid.html

And the Financial Times, the BBC, the Washington Post and Alzazeera.

[allan michaud]

Sorry to spoil your fun but my wife called me to the TV this morning to watch this news item. A LOT of money was found on the premises which is why there were 50 friends and helpers investigating.

Its a restaurant, they sell food and drink. Most of any money would be theirs.

The rented space would contain no money related to the bridge players since its duplicate bridge, played by almost every country in the world, where there is no gambling involved.

There might have been a small amount that is collected before the game from each player to pay expenses.

I imagine (and hope) that you are correct. The fact remains that there must be a compelling reason for over 50 police to have turned up.

That would be the USD4,500 they took off the pensioners. Have you been here long?

[Skywalker69]

This means WM in Bridge can never be played in Thailand.

Skickat från min SM-T530 via Tapatalk

[ukrules]

I thought it would take a few more days for this story to go global in the mainstream media.

I suppose it has a special kind of 'retarded news item of the day' feel to it.

There must be plenty of eyes around the world watching Thailand with keyboards at the ready for the next scoop.

[William C F Pierce]

This actually made the national TV news, even had the police video. A bunch of confused old folks playing Bridge.

Unclear what crime was committed, anyone know?

The offense relates to Section 8 of the Playing Cards Act of 1935 which states that an individual is not allowed to possess more than 120 playing cards at any one time. At the Bridge event, considerably more than 120 playing cards were found by officers.

Kind of reminds me of the outdated British law that every male over the age of 14 must practice archery for 2 hours every day.

[TheKnave]

Absolute buffoons, what next, playing scalextric and getting charged for speeding

Wow, blast from the past! I had Scalextric 50+ years ago. Never played with my Lionel train set again, after racing my D-Jag around that plastic track...thanks for the memory.

As for bridge players and Thai cops: by far the second most amazing thing about this is the number of people defending the Thai police. Who ARE these ancephalic lifeforms?

[elgordo38]

Absolute buffoons, what next, playing scalextric and getting charged for speeding

Wow, blast from the past! I had Scalextric 50+ years ago. Never played with my Lionel train set again, after racing my D-Jag around that plastic track...thanks for the memory.

As for bridge players and Thai cops: by far the second most amazing thing about this is the number of people defending the Thai police. Who ARE these ancephalic lifeforms?

They are retired actors who played the Daleks in the old Dr. Who series. They are working for the junta to assimilate you. Resistance is futile. Forgive them God for they know not what they are doing.

[Tonawatchee]

BIBs digging through the law books trying to save face.

[rudy h]

Absolute buffoons, what next, playing scalextric and getting charged for speeding

Wow, blast from the past! I had Scalextric 50+ years ago. Never played with my Lionel train set again, after racing my D-Jag around that plastic track...thanks for the memory.

As for bridge players and Thai cops: by far the second most amazing thing about this is the number of people defending the Thai police. Who ARE these ancephalic lifeforms?

They are retired actors who played the Daleks in the old Dr. Who series. They are working for the junta to assimilate you. Resistance is futile. Forgive them God for they know not what they are doing.

They graduated from the same uni as the brilliant chaps who decided a raid was in order

[never me]

retarius, on 04 Feb 2016 - 04:26, said:

I thought playing cards either for money or not was illegal. Someone should send this to the Daily Mail…they would have a field day with it. Don't you think that with all the crime going on in Thailand that breaking up a bridge club was one of the lower priorities. Who sets the priorities for the BiB anyway, if it politicians then we need to look at the quality of the politicians, and if it is the BiB commanders then we need to replace them.

They have.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3431265/Thai-police-raid-nets-32-foreign-bridge-players.html

also in the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/12139797/Elderly-British-bridge-enthusiasts-nabbed-in-Thai-anti-gambling-raid.html

And the Financial Times, the BBC, the Washington Post and Alzazeera.

This is great news. Now more people around the world can see the B/S overflowing in Thailand.

Another shot in the foot, I think they just blew a leg off.

[never me]

I have just received an email from a friend in NZ.

This morning, the New Zealand TV breakfast show showed footage of the Police raid in Thailand. The announcer reading the item was laughing as she read it. They said that they took a fine of $200 for breaking the law about the number of cards. I betcha it showed on Oz TV - there was one kiwi and two Australians in the group, and probably also BBC TV.

Sorry Thailand ... the world is laughing at you.

[Jingthing]

How can the laughing be stopped? No laughing, I tell you, no laughing!

[webfact]

Western retirees at Thai resort busted for playing bridge

BANGKOK (AP) — Add aging Western bridge players to the list of desperadoes in Thailand's seaside resort of Pattaya, a sin city rife with prostitution, corruption and foreign and home-grown gangsters.

The bridge players, mostly British but also from Scandinavia, the Netherlands and elsewhere, were busted by a task force of soldiers, police and local officials as they played cards at eight tables in an apartment above a restaurant, police Col. Sukathat Pumpanmuang, superintendent of the Pattaya Police Station, said Thursday. He said the law enforcement agents were acting on a tip that illegal gambling was taking place there.

Those arrested Wednesday afternoon — including an 84-year-old Dutch woman, according to the Pattaya One news website — were released on bail of 5,000 baht ($140) each in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Sukathat said they would not be charged with gambling, but might be charged under a law limiting individuals to possession of 120 unregistered playing cards.

The officer said police didn't see money changing hands, but seized as evidence computers, decks of cards and a book with results of the bridge games. He said most of the players were in their 60s or older.

The card players' plight was eased after the president of the Contract Bridge League of Thailand, Chodchoy Sophonpanich — a civic activist who is a member of Thailand's most prominent banking family — went to Pattaya on Thursday morning to advise police that bridge was treated under the law as a sport rather than gambling.

"Police know that bridge is a sport because a similar case happened before, but this time it was military and district officials who initiated the raid and they probably didn't know," said Chaiyut Assanaiyarat, the bridge league's manager.

The chief of Thailand's junta, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, began a crackdown on gambling, especially at illegal casinos, soon after taking power as part of a broader anti-corruption campaign.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-02-05

[redbarron]

BS laws enforced like this make me think twice about retiring in thailand . . .

[SiSePuede419]

Comrade JingT., I'll answer your questions with quotes from my favorite movie "Being There (1979)"....

>So why the enforcement after many years doing the same thing and it being a publicly announced event?

This is just like television, only you can see much further.

>Hardly an underground operation.

As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.

>I have no sympathy for your lack of sympathy. So there! Well, I never!

Yes! There will be growth in the spring!

555

Edited February 4, 2016 by SiSePuede419

[never me]

BS laws enforced like this make me think twice about retiring in thailand . . .

If I didnt have my family here I would be out in a flash.

[BritTim]

it starts with bridge and escalates to........................

good job pattaya police!

In the worst case, it can escalate to sherry parties in the players' homes. Raiding those drinking dens is not easy, as the time and place they will take place is not publicized online like the regular bridge duplicates.

By the way, for the benefit of police continuing their campaign against the devil cards, these are other locations that have scheduled duplicate bridge tournaments:

• Royal Bangkok Sports Club
• Polo Club
• British Club
• Royal Thai Navy Club

To raid some of these, they may need more than 50 armed police.

[Basil B]

One lady refused to sign; she had the money but would not "confess" to a thing she had not done. She was detained and I have not seen her since.

I do hope she is OK...

I just keep thinking of the B2 and how they were persuaded to confess...

[arunsakda]

it starts with bridge and escalates to........................

good job pattaya police!

In the worst case, it can escalate to sherry parties in the players' homes. Raiding those drinking dens is not easy, as the time and place they will take place is not publicized online like the regular bridge duplicates.

By the way, for the benefit of police continuing their campaign against the devil cards, these are other locations that have scheduled duplicate bridge tournaments:

• Royal Bangkok Sports Club
• Polo Club
• British Club
• Royal Thai Navy Club

To raid some of these, they may need more than 50 armed police.

Additional would any of these august institutions be located within 300 metres of a school?

No more cocktail hours allowed at the Officers' Mess?

[rudy h]

This whole episode of the raid now has me thinking that BiB is really short for buffoons in brown.

[Guest]

what about all the coppers that gamble heavily at golf games etc. maybe a citizens arrest????

[Crossy]

This actually made the national TV news, even had the police video. A bunch of confused old folks playing Bridge.

To the person who took offence at "confused old folks", I meant confused at the fact they were being raided (which I'm sure they were) not that they were senile.

Sorry for the confusion.

[NCC1701A]

good thing no one was hurt. what if someone had a heart attack or fell down and broke their hip.

police are filth in Thailand.

[zakk9]

it starts with bridge and escalates to........................

good job pattaya police!

In the worst case, it can escalate to sherry parties in the players' homes. Raiding those drinking dens is not easy, as the time and place they will take place is not publicized online like the regular bridge duplicates.

By the way, for the benefit of police continuing their campaign against the devil cards, these are other locations that have scheduled duplicate bridge tournaments:

• Royal Bangkok Sports Club
• Polo Club
• British Club
• Royal Thai Navy Club

To raid some of these, they may need more than 50 armed police.

Additional would any of these august institutions be located within 300 metres of a school?

No more cocktail hours allowed at the Officers' Mess?

Don't know about the others, but The Sports Club is across the street from Chulalongkorn University and the Triamudom Suksa School. I don't think that affects the activities inside The Sports Club though. Their members are exempted from reality.

[mydee]

If an apology is forthcoming which I doubt, it is unlikely to be fulsome which means excessively flattering. I suspect the police will be relieved to see the back of at least one feisty 84 year old.

Here's hoping there will be a fullsome, public apology and a generous donation made to the relevant bridge club.