British-led Card Room raided by officials in South Pattaya

[Tolley]

You just cant make stuff up like this.

No one would believe you.

Senior citizens playing bridge raided by 50 police!

[lostmebike]

Mr. Jeremy Watson aged 74 from UK was detained for further questioning...

with a hob-nob and a cup of tea.

[stephenterry]

As everyone had only 13 cards each, no law was broken. Just get 8 people to take away one deck after playing. Problem solved.

[Noji]

Sounds like that <deleted> Watson is the ringleader.

[Estrada]

Playing cards for fun and not for money or reward is not gambling. The police racked their brains to come up with a charge so that they did not lose face and came up with the possession of more than 120 cards per individual is against the 1935 Law. However, I doubt whether the public prosecutor will accept this case as no individual held more than 120 cards.

[bino]

You could not make this up.

You don't need to make it up here.

Right. The army makes it up, and then invokes section 44.

[stephenterry]

A perfect example of Thais not understanding why duplicate bridge is not gambling. Better involve the British embassy, give them something to do with their time.

[teacherpaul]

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.

120 cards were found in total. That's completely different from each player possessing 120 cards each.

[teacherpaul]

It's ok to trivialise it, but what starts off as 1 or 2 hands a night can soon reach 6 or 7, or in some cases even more. I hope they get locked away for a very long time.

Sounds like you need to get out more.

[futsukayoi]

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.

I don't see the problem here except for the number of officers involved in the arrest. These people are criminals who broke the law. They knew they were committing a crime but obviously thought as affluent foreigners they were above the law or were too culturally insensitive to care. If you live in a country you should follow its laws and customs regardless of whether you agree with them or not. If you do not want to do that face the consequences or go somewhere else. I bet many of these would be the first to whine about foreigners in their on country flaunting the laws and refusing to conform to cultural norms.

[never me]

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.

120 cards were found in total. That's completely different from each player possessing 120 cards each.

Are you having a personal attack on me?

You changed your original post.

[raro]

Glad to know the wording of the law now. Both big German card games, Skat and Doppelkopf, are played with less than 120 cards. We're safe :-P

[bino]

When we went across the border to Laos last year, with several Thai friends, they all bought playing cards. I thought it strange, but apparently, they are closely controlled here. Ridiculous. The police should be ashamed. Massive crime just down the street and they go after this.

Sad state of affairs right now. Police are going after any and everything just to make money.

They are available in my local Family Mart, but they are behind the counter with the cigs and booze. They even have a tax sticker like the cigs and booze.

Ridiculously expensive too. 500 for a pack IIRC.

[Deli]

The BiB's had their day...

[NongKhaiKid]

Congratulations, rewards and promotions all round as the authorities have finally neutralised the infamous and highly dangerous Over The Hill mob.

[Netzero]

Seriously this NEEDS to make international news! Only be continually shining a light on the stupidity and the absurdity in Thailand can there ever be any hope of change.

[never me]

Glad to know the wording of the law now. Both big German card games, Skat and Doppelkopf, are played with less than 120 cards. We're safe :-P

Give them time raro, just more time & they will find a way.

[arrowsdawdle]

this is oh so ridiculous and completely inappropriate.

I hope someone can make an official complaint to the chief of police, the Mayor of Pattaya and to the central powers in Bangkok.

The police should be ashamed !!!

Too bad they didn't have slave children peeling shrimp 20 hours a day seven days a week, they would have received a tip of the hat.

[technologybytes]

A senior customs officer once explained to me why I could not import playing cards for use playing bridge for no money.

I explained that as no money was involved, it was not gambling. The senior customs man disagreed, he said "But you are gambling in your heart".... you can't argue with these people.

[NongKhaiKid]

Maybe they haven't paid the appropriate protection money which is more serious than any criminal offense.

[Reigntax]

I do hope the chess clubs are going to be next there are a lot of political figures on that board let alone that big piece with the crown on its head which always seems to be the target.

And his offsider. Appropriate really because many pawns are lined up in front to take the initial flack.

[teacherpaul]

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.

I don't see the problem here except for the number of officers involved in the arrest. These people are criminals who broke the law. They knew they were committing a crime but obviously thought as affluent foreigners they were above the law or were too culturally insensitive to care. If you live in a country you should follow its laws and customs regardless of whether you agree with them or not. If you do not want to do that face the consequences or go somewhere else. I bet many of these would be the first to whine about foreigners in their on country flaunting the laws and refusing to conform to cultural norms.

Don't be such a jobsworth. They are not criminals. They were innocently playing a card game where money was not changing hands. Rather like yourself, the authorities obviously have nothing better to do than listen to some bitter, life-hating curtain-twitcher.

[wirat69]

Bridge over Troubled Waters???

[raro]

Here's a tale from my days in the shipping business.... Machine gets imported and with the machine comes all sorts of tools for the engineers to put it together. One of the engineers had his deck of cards in the toolbox as he always does... Skat is very popular among Germans during lunch breaks.

Illegal import of playing cards. Entire shipment stuck in customs. Major upheaval, no partial release even though it was technically several imports and everything was triple and quadruple checked to look for more violations of Thai laws....

[Reigntax]

Wow just bloody wow, you just wonder who tipped them off bloody ridiculous.

The poker club down the road just out trumped the opposition. Might be the start of a card club war not involving any patience.

[stephenterry]

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.

I don't see the problem here except for the number of officers involved in the arrest. These people are criminals who broke the law. They knew they were committing a crime but obviously thought as affluent foreigners they were above the law or were too culturally insensitive to care. If you live in a country you should follow its laws and customs regardless of whether you agree with them or not. If you do not want to do that face the consequences or go somewhere else. I bet many of these would be the first to whine about foreigners in their on country flaunting the laws and refusing to conform to cultural norms.

With moronic statements like that you'd make a perfect dummy. Just for the record not one person was in possession of more than 120cards.

[Pib]

The police informant is the root cause of the raid...he told the police a strip poker game was underway and the BIB couldn't resist the possibly of arresting a bunch of half naked farangs (other than the ones on the beach and bar districts) for publicity purposes. Just didn't work out as hoped. The informant has been moved to an inactive position.

[oztaurus]

I do hope the chess clubs are going to be next there are a lot of political figures on that board let alone that big piece with the crown on its head which always seems to be the target.

In fact chess should be banned under the LM laws .... after all, checkmate is an anglicisation of the original "shah mat" or "Kill the King". Chess is clearly a subversive activity and should be given the highest priority in the current crack-down/clean-up.

[mogo51]

this is oh so ridiculous and completely inappropriate.

I hope someone can make an official complaint to the chief of police, the Mayor of Pattaya and to the central powers in Bangkok.

The police should be ashamed !!!

What a 'great' pinch by those fabulous RTP, no wonder they are so busy.

[KittenKong]

When we went across the border to Laos last year, with several Thai friends, they all bought playing cards. I thought it strange, but apparently, they are closely controlled here. Ridiculous. The police should be ashamed. Massive crime just down the street and they go after this.

Sad state of affairs right now. Police are going after any and everything just to make money.

They are available in my local Family Mart, but they are behind the counter with the cigs and booze. They even have a tax sticker like the cigs and booze.

Ridiculously expensive too. 500 for a pack IIRC.

There is a big tax on playing cards here and this is the reason for the law restricting the numbers that any single person can carry. Maybe the person organising the event also brought all the decks with him, along with the pencils and notepads? That would be illegal. The obvious answer for this bridge club is that each person or table should bring their own deck.

In the police's defence, they probably do find it incomprehensible that a group of people could possibly be found using playing cards but not playing for money. Thais would never do this: they are gambling mad like many SE Asians.