British-led Card Room raided by officials in South Pattaya

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Bugger! closed down eh? that's spoiled my Sunday afternoon kalooki game.Now! that's a real card game.Does anyone on TV know how to play it????

[aslimversgwm]

For those who are feebly squaking about laws being broken.

Duplicate bridge has been played, apparently legally, in Thailand for years.

At the recent ASEAN Bridge Festival in Bangkok the sponsors included Bangkok Bank and PTT.

Tourism Thailand showed up to congratulate the organizers and players on a great tournament.

Oddly enough, the winners of the Non-ASEAN division was the club from Jomtien that just got assaulted.

There are members of the Norwegian national team and former world champions who play there.

If one of them ended up getting carted away and charged for engaging in an activity for which he just earned a medal in Bangkok, this is going to become an international embarrassment.

I don't even want to get into get into the number of Thai laws that are broken on a daily basis in Pattaya, but if you could load all the law books onto a cart and wheel them down Walking Street, I'm pretty sure it would be closed down immediately.

But, some people playing bridge, now that's the priority.

Very well stated Psychic! Couldn't believe those on here actually trying to justify this 'raid'. How ludicrous!

[OMGImInPattaya]

If they want to play an innocent game of cards during their retirement, people need to spend their retirement pensions in countries like Spain, Portugal, or Greece, which don't have laws against the possession of decks of cards. It's pretty hilarious that the local fuzz send out 50 officers to roust a bunch of pensioners playing cards, however. It just seems these days that Thai officialdom just can't seem to avoid stepping in a steaming pile of it on a daily basis.

[sumrit]

Website of the Thailand Bridge League... http://www.thailandbridgeleague.com ....farang mafia too mutt. Personally I think that the person who instigated this farce just didn't grasp the concept of a card game without money.

I sometimes play Freecell on the computer. I'll be keeping the door locked and barricaded in future, just in case.

Microsoft have removed freecell and other card games from Windows 10.................................now we know why

Edited February 4, 2016 by sumrit

[connda]

God help any foreigners engaged in that immoral game of -- canasta. OMG! Gasp! <women faint>

[abrahamzvi]

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 really don't know what the law says, I am completely ignorant in this respect. However, if never me is correct than no offence was committed, as according to him the law is broken "if an individual possesses more than 120 cards at any one time" When playing Bridge, no INDIVIDUAL possess anywhere near 120 cards at any one time. Therefore if never me is correct, and I must emphasise the word IF, than no offence was committed.

[Traveller45]

When I read BRITISH LED CARD ROOM I had a completely different picture in mind. Images of Humphrey Bogart movies, wads of cash, pistols...

[Psychic]

Latest update.

The president of Bridge Thailand showed up and all charges are apparently on hold.

That's good news, but why couldn't a phone call have been made before carting an 84 year old woman off to the police station and forcing her to find 5000B to be released.

Surely a cursory inspection of the Thailand Bridge League website ( in The Thai language so it would be readily understandable) would have put an end to this nonsense before it started.

If they weren't so busy trying to make arrests and confiscate property they could even have used the club's computers.

[animatic]

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.

Their logic would that the

possessor of the space would also possess all the cards in it.

This really needs to make the international press,

so they can be shown how much it makes them lose face,

for being such bleeding idiots.

Edited February 4, 2016 by animatic

[connda]

Has anyone sent this article to that British newspaper which shall remain unmentioned. They'd have a field day with this.

[Traveller45]

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 really don't know what the law says, I am completely ignorant in this respect. However, if never me is correct than no offence was committed, as according to him the law is broken "if an individual possesses more than 120 cards at any one time" When playing Bridge, no INDIVIDUAL possess anywhere near 120 cards at any one time. Therefore if never me is correct, and I must emphasise the word IF, than no offence was committed.

Smartass here, greetings. What you mean is that nobody HOLDS more than 120 cards at any one time

[robblok]

From what I've found there are several bridge clubs in Pattaya, the Pattaya Bridge Club itself is registered and legal. There is also a Thailand Bridge League that have some big name sponsors such as Bangkok Bank so it is fully legal and suspect the BiB will have egg on their face once the courts throw it out.

So they found no money or indication of gambling so they have to dig through regulations to find something to charge them with? That save face thing again. Surprised they didn't charge them for meetings of more then 5.

Im just as curious as you about the outcome of the courts decision. I hope it goes as you say and teaches the BIB not to do it again.

Still if there were prizes they might make something stick. Without those i doubt they could make it stick.

[novanova]

I am one of the bridgpplayers who was detained.

The charges of gambling have been dropped. There was no money involved.

There were no prizes.

The event is known as a "club duplicate pairs" and is played in small clubs all over the world.I will write more when I get home from the police station.

[Psychic]

I am one of the bridgpplayers who was detained.

The charges of gambling have been dropped. There was no money involved.

There were no prizes.

The event is known as a "club duplicate pairs" and is played in small clubs all over the world.I will write more when I get home from the police station.

You're still at the police station?

Anything approaching an apology issued?

[ukrules]

I had someone who reads Thai look over the thailandbridgeleague.com website and after looking at the list of names on the page I was told 'there's some very high people there'.

I'm not sure how she knows but I think it's something to do with the family names.

[Sooo Upto Me]

U know wot, I'm glad I'm out of Pattaya now. I'm up north in lovely hse overlooking Burmese mountains an my stress level is 0. Well apart from building hair salon for partner.

So pathetic no money woz found so no crime but yet the 50 idiots STORM the residence an still look in their little law book to find a way to prosecute them.

But hey down theppersit rd some teenage thugs on a moped are prob robbing some farang. But do bib care No. Coz no money involved for their fat pockets.

[jaywalker]

I understand gambling is illegal. Sometimes gambling involves cards but this is clearly pathetic.

I suspect this story will be published in UK and Aussie newspapers. Many 'oldies' will think again before retiring to this "gambling den"! Playing Bridge! what next? Snap maybe? or even Patience !!!

I hear Solitaire is on their radar, as it leads to playing 'Go Fish'.

It's the same as monks eating ice cream, which leads to them wearing women's shoes.

[mikosan]

OMG, I'm not really reading this am I? How pathetic, surely they must have something better to do than arrest a load of geriatrics, no offence meant to the players and scour the law books to find some spurious offence or other. This really need to go viral.

[jaywalker]

I am one of the bridgpplayers who was detained.

The charges of gambling have been dropped. There was no money involved.

There were no prizes.

The event is known as a "club duplicate pairs" and is played in small clubs all over the world.I will write more when I get home from the police station.

Please post your experience in the Pattaya Forum, as opposed to replying here, where it will get buried and 95% of us will never see it.

Thanks!

[Toknarok]

The raid has just been reported on the 1 o'clock BBC news. LOL

[Minnehaha]

I am relieved the beer brand were covered with cozys so they could not be charged with promoting any brands

[johncat1]

Lucky some of them didn't have a heart attack when they were raided by a gang of incompetent police and Army officers.

They were probably disappointed no money was on the table and they couldn't have their tea money

[Darbar]

One word: Idiotic.

[sunray69]

I guess this operation will leave a sour taste to those pensioners, let's hope they think spending their money in a more friendly country...

[elgordo38]

I am sure after it was all over there was someone at the door collecting a "exit" fee. No need to go to the police station to pay a fine for this dastardly deed.

[Ulic]

Well this story says it all about the Thai police. Nothing more needs to be reported about

there competence or lack of and there common sense or lack of.

[Jdietz]

I guess any future bridge events will be 'BYOC' only.

[KNJ]

120 cards, ?

52 in a pack X 2 =104

How and who is holding all those extra aces? no wonder I keep losing at Bok Ding or whatever it is called

[geriatrickid]

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.

Please tell me you are attempting a joke, as otherwise it's a rather idiotic statement. These people are not criminals as they have not been convicted of any crime. There was no gambling. The courts have previously held that people engaged in non gambling events such as these are not in violation of the intent of the law. In criminal law, intent is a major component of the establishment of a criminal act. There was no demonstrable intent to engage in a criminal act.

How anyone can call a group of elderly people "criminals" is downright mean and nasty. The policy undertook the raid because they thought there was gambling going on. They have had to reach for an obscure interpretation of an outdated law that is ignored by the courts because they have made utter fools of themselves. Seriously, who throws an old man against the wall and cuffs him because of a harmless game of bridge?

[kingdratsab]

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.

INDIVIDUAL is the operative word.......32 individuals x 120 = 3840...... in bridge each table needs 4 packs ...8 tables x 4 x 52 =1664...case closed!!