British-led Card Room raided by officials in South Pattaya

[midas]

this invokes memories of the Monty Python sketch " I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition "

[eliotness]

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.

When I finally moved everything to Thailand I sent a box with DHL ( ok I realise that was a massive error ) but the box contained a pack of cards, never actually used, rather a souvenir from an organisation I once was a member. When the box finally arrived the pack of cards had been opened and one card removed, the 4 of clubs !!!. So my wife can't use the cards to tell my fortune now !!! There were other items that were questioned, but that is a long silly story.

[never me]

Pathetic that the Royal Thai Police Farce had to do this.... SHAME ON YOU RTP

Please forgive them, the cops are not playing with a full deck at any time.

[mmh8]

I have been frightened of this for some time. This pretty much confirms it. Looking for excuses to kick foreigners out of country by painting all foreigners as bad and up to no good. Here comes the xenophobia thai style.

yes we have no word for racism, we practise it we don't speak it, you know the old see no say no hear no, but doing is ok.

this is a hilarious story but also frightening.

Watch out for foreigners having property confiscated for technicalities over the next few months.

[Tuk Dua]

As the law "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." clearly states "an individual", therefore every person in the room has the right to have up to 120 cards each i.e. two packs. So where is the crime.

[never me]

Pleeeeaaaase pleeeeeaaase let the international press get hold of this !! Someone could have a field day with this.

Yes I hope Andrew Drummond gets a hold of it.

[brewsterbudgen]

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.

you are a COCK

If gambling is not allowed in the Kingdom why do I see people openly selling lottery tickets for 80 baht inside shopping malls it is my understanding that millions of Thais take part each week or is this particular lottery not classed as a form of gambling ??????

Because the lottery is exempt.

[Oldgumshoe]

I guess there could be some card shuffling magicians and street performers next on the list.

[Rimmer]

Some off topic, profane and troll posts have been removed

[happy pattaya man]

I'd better hide my crib board and matchsticks..

Cheers

happaypattayaman

[dieseldave1951]

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.

Sometimes i can be a plonker as well but as much of a plonker as you are i have never been

who is this dipstick obviously not a card player even for fun, if they were playing snap do you think they would have been let off, maybe these pensioners were non the wiser after all there was no mention of money being confiscated. i recently bought the game of cribbage to Thailand and now wonder if that is illegal, i wonder if i took this game to the police and asker for advice they would not even know any thing about it ( probably ban it through ignorance) just because it has a deck of cards lastly i been coming here for 15 years and i did knot know about this was against the law

dyou know all the obscure laws in this country ? i bet not so people who live in glasses should NOT throw stones GET IT !!!!!

[Psychic]

Hmm. I just played in this. High end hotel in Bangkok. Some very influential Thai players.

I guess we were all breaking the law, same with the weekly games at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.

There's even a That Bridge Society.

I suspect the charge will be dropped when the appropriate phone call is made.

http://www.thailandbridgeleague.com/asean/index.php?mode=participants

[rws85]

BIB can be proud of themselves, great police work catching these crooks!

Lock em up and throw away the key!

[never me]

I have been frightened of this for some time. This pretty much confirms it. Looking for excuses to kick foreigners out of country by painting all foreigners as bad and up to no good. Here comes the xenophobia thai style. yes we have no word for racism, we practise it we don't speak it, you know the old see no say no hear no, but doing is ok. this is a hilarious story but also frightening. Watch out for foreigners having property confiscated for technicalities over the next few months.

Very true statement.........tic tok tic tok.

[cyberfarang]

Millions of Thais gamble every week on the lottery which costs them 80 baht a ticket ! So what is the problem ??????

Although the lottery is a form of gambling it is something that is controlled by the government and the people that do the black market lotteries are also breaking the law. Never heard of lottery gambling casinos. And btw playing Lotto and Bingo is also against the law.

Where we live in 2014 the police raided a group of locals playing cards in one of their homes. A policeman who I personally know was there participating in the card games. He was fined and sacked from the police force, so this is not a victimization of Farlangs thing.

[retarius]

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.

[Keesters]

Pathetic. Pattaya police must have nothing to do. Oh wait a minute didn't they get told off the other day for dragging their heels on 600 outstanding criminal cases.

[smedly]

speechless

[willyumcr]

I have a feeling this is going to make more than the national Thai news.

Let's hope so.

[WitawatWatawit]

I think the officer who made the decision to organize the raid should be named and shamed. He's clearly a little big man who has bought, bullied and beaten his way up the ladder, likes to show off about how powerful he is, and is surrounded by sycophants who wouldn't dare to question his moronic decisions. Name and shame,

[Pattaya Wolf]

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

with a hob-nob and a cup of tea.

Maybe taken for attitude adjustment more likely.

[cooked]

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.

[Psychic]

The Thai Bridge League,

Sponsored by Bangkok Bank and PTT.

Does that make their executives guilty of supporting organized crime?

I have stopped shaking my head at some of the stuff that goes on here.

http://www.thailandbridgeleague.com/?/history/

[fdbob]

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 !!!

Keystone cops there patetic

[Andreas2]

50 tax eaters lawfully initiating violence against some peaceful residents; I mean, it's not the first time we read about such a grotesque, eye opening story, is it?

Why are there still so many people left who are seriously expecting that the state-approved ("lawful") criminals have any intention to "protect" them? If they do "fight" (unlawful) criminals, it's only to protect their own monopoly of violence, taxation that is. They protect us to tax us.

It's not the other way round, as we are always told: They tax us to protect us. This is a lie, which is beautifully exposed once more in the OP. They tax AND punish us.

Pure evil, the state that is.

The state is "the organization of robbery systematized and writ large." Murray Rothbard

[Psychic]

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.

[WitawatWatawit]

If someone spots a shirt like this for sale, please PM me - I will buy it and walk past the police station every day.

[JAG]

Bridge over Troubled Waters???

If they were in Kanchanaburi then would it be "Bridge over the river Kwai"?

[stephenterry]

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.

Probably the restaurant takings or the RTP trying to save face, by their usual misinformation. Don't believe for one minute that duplicate bridge players were playing for A LOT of money. Sorry, but good try.

[Lupatria]

Meanwhile illegal EPL betting is running in Bkk for more than a decade in the open and nobody is bothering the organizers,- take a wild guess who is running the show...

And how about the illegal tent casinos operating behind Big C during X-mas and new year?