British-led Card Room raided by officials in South Pattaya

[JMS]

It's just been on the Thai news

[jamhar]

OK grandpa.

put down the cards

put up your hands

and back away from your walker,,,,, REAL SLOW!

Reach for your oxygen bottle and you're a dead man!

I'm trying to see the lighter side of this

but now

I have to explain this to all my friends stateside

http://news.yahoo.com/thai-police-raid-nets-32-foreign-bridge-players-072300285.html

[Nomyai]

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...

thai police are good @ getting perps to confess.

[fantom]

Now in The Times

Edited February 5, 2016 by fantom

[jesimps]

80 army and police rush in for a game of Bridge must have been a right laugh when they discover no money on the tables to be made are the Junta getting more stupid by the hour or what and who ordered such a ridiculous raid on foreigners playing a game of bridge provided any of soldiers/police can count to 120 cards to find if the law has been broken there will be a few medals issued for this gallant and fearless raid a few soldiers / police sticking out there chests to have a medal pinned on it, and to think a few hundred feet away from the crazed bridge playing pensioners killings and muggings corruption payments being made illegal brothels where prostitutes being paid money for sexual services going at full kilter.

No matter what you think of the current govt, it is going a bit far to blame this farce on the general and friends.

You don't get to be a general by being this stupid !

I think the blame clearly stops at Keystone, sorry, Pattaya police station ....

Fair or not, the buck stops with the person at the top. No doubt he will flannel his way out of it.

What's needed to put this right is a huge grovelling apology to the elderly people arrested along with the return of their bail money and compensation for stress caused by being raided, arrested and spending the night in jail.

This won't happen of course because it involves a huge loss of face.

[mydee]

You shouldn't have any trouble there. American movies have had some great comedy farces, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope Road series, Maxwell Smart and Men in Black, to name a few. Just put it in that context.

OK grandpa.

put down the cards

put up your hands

and back away from your walker,,,,, REAL SLOW!

Reach for your oxygen bottle and you're a dead man!

I'm trying to see the lighter side of this

but now

I have to explain this to all my friends stateside

http://news.yahoo.com/thai-police-raid-nets-32-foreign-bridge-players-072300285.html

[alfredthegreat]

Where did the other 45ish of 50 police officers go? The video I saw showed only about 4 or 5 police.

These bridge players are so wanted, be careful!.

More interesting and purposeful was a drug bust near where I live. Did that make headlines? No it didn't.

[lvr181]

It is not about any "imagined" crime - someone needed to replenish their tea money fund.

[thelegend]

Let me just say how delighted I am that the ThaiPolice are finally dealing with really serious crime and not involving themselves overly in crimes of violence, child abuse and the like . Mercy me ! People sometimes get hurt doing that kind of stuff..... much safer to raid the old folks homes occasionally. I say a hugh BRAVO WELL DONE the THAI POLICE.

[jesimps]

"If playing organized bridge is against the law"

It's not. Having more than 120 cards in one location is illegal.

Then all the bridge clubs in Thailand are illegal because I can't see any club using only two packs.

[IAMHERE]

There is some high ranking person in Thailand that ordered this raid and is gonna be unhappy about the outcome. I sure am happy I wasn't the one to suggest raiding those docile older card players and intimidating/coaxing 5000 baht out of each one. It would have been cheaper and less time spent behind bars , if they'd been picked up for 'loitering' on Beach Road. What the heck, now BIB has a new list of usual characters.

[jesimps]

The money was for bail and will be returned.

I thought playing cards either for money or not was illegal. Someone should send this to the Daily Mailthey 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.

I thought prostitution was illegal too.

Technically, but actually regulated under the law. Raids on girls soliciting and bars not following the regulations are frequent.

"The money was for bail and will be returned". When they are old and grey? Oh, sorry they already are! When they were forced to confess to gambling before being released? One woman refused, and hasn't been seen or heard of since!

I expect her country's ambassador to be camped outside the Foreign Ministry right now and that he will be DEMANDING her release with no strings attached.

[SOTIRIOS]

...foreigners singled out once again...amidst the maelstrom of corruption at the hands of locals....

...and if we object we are accused of racism....???

[DrTuner]

Where did the other 45ish of 50 police officers go? The video I saw showed only about 4 or 5 police.

They went to play hi-lo while the criminals were being herded out.

[Khun Paul]

Quo te: No matter what you think of the current govt, it is going a bit far to blame this farce on the general and friends.
You don't get to be a general by being this stupid .

Really judging by the standards of the Police even their generals are just that stupid and now we hear that a more recent act in 1960 allows games with no gambling are allowed so the POLICE DO NOT EVEN KNOW THAI LAW, just show HOW IGNORANT THEY . as well. This is getting scary I can tell you whatever next arrested for being over 60 and breathing

:

[jesimps]

"I'd even stay in jail for a few days and then contact all the media channels including the Bridge association in Thailand and start a circus "

Excellent!

They must have good wi-fi in Thai jails....?

Maybe something might get lost in the translation if your teerak is relaying the news...

555

Trouble is you could end up with a nasty case of death.

[brewsterbudgen]

In the Dutch news they wrote that the retired people were released on bail........ So extra pocketmoney???

If it was official bail it will be returned at the court hearing. And if it goes to court it will be very interesting.

This is exactly what Thailand doesn't need now. The drinking bans on holidays that members of this forum complain so vocally about probably has little or no effect on tourism. Many countries have an assortment of restrictions surrounding the use of alcohol. But the chance of being arrested and held at a police station for hours for doing something that is not only legal, but seen as a positive, intellectual activity in most or all countries is scary. That is not something people at 60 years plus want to experience during retirement or when travelling on holiday. Many will ask themselves: If they do this, what will they do next?

If Thailand wants to destroy its reputation as a peaceful tourist nation and lose some of the most profitable, trouble free tourists around, this is the way to do it. Unfortunately, those in charge of this operation most probably don't have a clue about this, and may well instigate other, equally damaging operations in the future.

If Thailand wants to destroy its reputation as a peaceful tourist nation.

Their reputation is already down the sh!t shoot and has been for some time.

Indeed. Especially since the military takeover. I don't think many western governments will be surprised at heavy-handed and ridiculous police/army actions.

[houlicha]

Looks as if we have some non bridge players opining here on the game. It was said above "duplicate pairs bridge, not contract bridge". Of course it was contract bridge, the alternative is auction bridge. What you mean is it was duplicate pairs, not rubber bridge.

[Trouble]

What would have really made the story really hit the international papers and cause greater embarrassment would have been if none of those arrested paid the bail but decided to remain in jail en masse. 32 retirees in the Pattaya jail would have really been a mess for the pathetic RTP.

[soalbundy]

A geriatric disaster.

[Rimmer]

Multiple off topic and troll posts have been removed

[brewsterbudgen]

What would have really made the story really hit the international papers and cause greater embarrassment would have been if none of those arrested paid the bail but decided to remain in jail en masse. 32 retirees in the Pattaya jail would have really been a mess for the pathetic RTP.

If it's true that the raid was ordered by the military not the police, the mess will go a lot higher up the ladder.

[English 1]

The precious British Club will be next to Bridge the gap.

[sanukjim]

Since the army is in control and the BIB are forced to raid their protected clubs and pubs that normally provide their major income through bribes and payoffs,the BIB are so desperate for money to keep up their life style they are grasping at anything.

[Jimbo2014]

Keystone cops! ??? Now they will probably try to sue everyone for ridiculing them.

[sanukjim]

There is a rumor that a well heeled local was not invited to play in the Bridge League and ask the BIB for this raid ,which has seem to blow up in their faces.

[chuang]

A bridge too far....

[Jimbo2014]

Hub of retirement bliss!!! ???

[Woody1]

Barry Kenyon, a former British Honorary Consul who received the MBE for his services to Britain, was among the 30 people and said he was held for 12 hours.

Hahahaha, this has to be the funniest part of the whole fiasco!

[mfharrison]

at the bottom it says "Almost all forms of gambling apart from the lottery and bets on some animal fighting is outlawed in Thailand, though underground betting is rampant."

so gambling on animal fighting(some) is alright. good to know!!

A bridge too far: Cops smash crime ring of, er, elderly card players

By Coconuts Bangkok

PATTAYA:-- A vow by Thailand's junta to rid the country of foreign criminals has netted an unlikely group of outlaws — elderly bridge players.

Police and military volunteers raided a bridge club last night in Pattaya, a resort town renowned for its go-go bars and links with organised crime, arresting 32 foreigners, most of them British.

"There were 32 people, all of them foreigners arrested for gambling on Wednesday night," Colonel Suthat Pumphanmuang, Pattaya police superintendent, said today, saying the raid was sparked by a member of the public complaining to the junta's anti-corruption centre.

Almost all forms of gambling apart from the lottery and bets on some animal fighting is outlawed in Thailand, though underground betting is rampant.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/02/04/bridge-too-far-cops-smash-crime-ring-er-elderly-card-players

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-02-04