Bridge club in Chiang Mai?

[Chiengmaijoe]

I know there has been in the past, but is there currently a den of these miscreants in our fine city? If so they should be routed out.

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/221251/british-led-card-room-raided-officials-south-pattaya/

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Well, for Chiang Mai I'd say bridge is borderline acceptable, due to general lack of other things to do.

For Pattaya however there is absolutely no excuse and the police did an excellent job to save those folks from themselves, allowing them to rethink their lives.

[khwaibah]

Population count of IDC just increased by 32.

[cmsally]

"Five and one, got em strung" Whoops wrong game.

[ThaiPauly]

Last time I was at The Pub they had a Bridge Club running every Sunday afternoon.

That was about 7 or 8 months ago so I don't know if it's still going?

[Chiengmaijoe]

This story has even made it into The Telegraph and London Evening Standard! I wonder if Pattaya Police are aware of the fact that they have made it into the international press. I heard that there was going to be a crackdown against foreign mafias, so it's good to see them being true to their word.

[CMKiwi]

The only thing the BiB are missing (To complete their ensemble) are big red noses and a large pair of floppy shoes.

Now who is their ringmaster these days?

[tpthai2]

The Pattaya 32 has gone viral. Google it, three full pages of world press coverage links as of 8 pm.

[Suradit69]

This story has even made it into The Telegraph and London Evening Standard! I wonder if Pattaya Police are aware of the fact that they have made it into the international press. I heard that there was going to be a crackdown against foreign mafias, so it's good to see them being true to their word.

"I wonder if Pattaya Police are aware of the fact that they have made it into the international press."

I'm sure they spend sleepless nights worried about something written in some newspaper in the UK. Not sure what would make the London Evening Standard any more "international" than the Pattaya Mail.

[TheCruncher]

This story has even made it into The Telegraph and London Evening Standard! I wonder if Pattaya Police are aware of the fact that they have made it into the international press. I heard that there was going to be a crackdown against foreign mafias, so it's good to see them being true to their word.

"I wonder if Pattaya Police are aware of the fact that they have made it into the international press."

I'm sure they spend sleepless nights worried about something written in some newspaper in the UK. Not sure what would make the London Evening Standard any more "international" than the Pattaya Mail.

It has been covered by pretty much every major news source worldwide.

Of course the Thais don't lose any sleep over it, since they aren't even capable of realising how they are made ( with reason ) the laughing stock of the world once again.

A link posted by another poster on another thread, and this is only a fraction of those who covered it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...d-asia-35491852

http://hosted.ap.org...-02-04-05-19-08

http://m.radioaustra...-crackd/1543880

http://news.sky.com/...ids-bridge-club

http://www.aljazeera...4072523820.html

http://www.dailymail...ge-players.html

http://www.straitsti...nd-for-gambling

Edited February 4, 2016 by TheCruncher

[Trujillo]

Playing Cards Act of 1943....

According to the regulations, these folks could face up to 3 years in the pokey for having over 120 cards not stamped or produced by the Excise Department.

Just goes to show you that crime knows no age limit. You'd think they could just sit quietly and drink beer in a go-go bar, but OH NO....they have to go and break the Playing Cards Act!

Scandalous!

The real issue here is to get the mastermind who imported the illegal cards in the first place. He's looking at up to 10 years in the big house for his wanton criminal activities.

[balo]

Be careful , you could be the next in line. I would cancel any bridge sessions for the next few weeks.

[Tywais]

The Bridge League of Thailand has a deep and wide pedigree of members so someone may be going to have a restless sleep expecting repercussions for this snafu. For example:

"On Thursday we spoke with Khunying Chodchoy, the President of the Contract Bridge League of Thailand, who travelled to Pattaya to assist those arrested during the raid."

"Bridge allows players to accumulate points rather than win money and Khunying Chodchoy vowed to fight any possible Court case in the future, on behalf of those arrested on Thursday"

Note her title. This case isn't going anywhere.

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/221299/confusion-and-anger-at-pattaya-bridge-club-raid/

[Jingthing]

Bring bail money to the club. But then if busted, you'll be accused of gambling because of carrying so much cash. Good luck!

[heybruce]

Thank god the BiB are out there protecting us from elderly bridge players.

A bit off-topic, but I wonder if they found that drunk guy firing a semi-auto pistol next to my condo last week.

[true blue]

Thank god the BiB are out there protecting us from elderly bridge players.

A bit off-topic, but I wonder if they found that drunk guy firing a semi-auto pistol next to my condo last week.

come on now,that would just be a bridge to far

[Happy Grumpy]

Please respect the laws of Thailand.

[cyberfarang]

This story has even made it into The Telegraph and London Evening Standard! I wonder if Pattaya Police are aware of the fact that they have made it into the international press. I heard that there was going to be a crackdown against foreign mafias, so it's good to see them being true to their word.

Thailand seems to have made the international headlines a lot lately concerning Farlang tourists and expats, all for negative reasons. Thai Visa has become the only online place where Farlangs can have a say, but wonder how long this is going to last? Considering that people can be jailed for playing a friendly game of cards or clicking a like on facebook it`s all becoming a little scary.

[CMBob]

Geez, I get a grand slam and end up in the not-so-grand slammer.

Perhaps the Pattaya Police should spend more time on more nefarious things, perhaps the illegal export of ping pong balls......

Edited February 5, 2016 by CMBob

[roo860]

I saw the sneaky 'card playing' buggers going to their secret den the other afternoon, dark glasses and hats won't fool anyone, gonna claim my reward from the RTP.

I have also noticed their blacked out stretch limos illegally parked!

Edited February 5, 2016 by roo860

[sceadugenga]

Last time I was at The Pub they had a Bridge Club running every Sunday afternoon.

That was about 7 or 8 months ago so I don't know if it's still going?

Coppers nark.... dobber....

[iainiain101]

Seems the charge is having over 120 unregistered playing cards. Often wondered why you would see confiscated playing cards in the bins at Mae Sai border, but could buy a pack in 7/11.

Looks like they have broken a law and that is not something you want to do here.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The Bridge League of Thailand has a deep and wide pedigree of members so someone may be going to have a restless sleep expecting repercussions for this snafu. For example:

"On Thursday we spoke with Khunying Chodchoy, the President of the Contract Bridge League of Thailand, who travelled to Pattaya to assist those arrested during the raid."

"Bridge allows players to accumulate points rather than win money and Khunying Chodchoy vowed to fight any possible Court case in the future, on behalf of those arrested on Thursday"

Note her title. This case isn't going anywhere.

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/221299/confusion-and-anger-at-pattaya-bridge-club-raid/

Wasn't concerned it would go somewhere, but it is noteworthy / newsworthy that the Thai police have managed -yet again- to show off their competence to the world.

I actually wish that Britain (for example) would rub it in a little. Call in the Thai ambassador and ask "what the actual #@&%, dude?", or however you say that in British English.

Requesting a formal apology from the police chief to those people would also be a decent course of action.

- "But, but.. loss of face bla bla khrap?"

-- "Ah.. in order to lose face, one must first acquire one. Off you go now!"

(I know, I know.. you have to go back quite a while to find a Britain that wouldn't be messed with.)

Edited February 5, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[MESmith]

The Bridge League of Thailand has a deep and wide pedigree of members so someone may be going to have a restless sleep expecting repercussions for this snafu. For example:

"On Thursday we spoke with Khunying Chodchoy, the President of the Contract Bridge League of Thailand, who travelled to Pattaya to assist those arrested during the raid."

"Bridge allows players to accumulate points rather than win money and Khunying Chodchoy vowed to fight any possible Court case in the future, on behalf of those arrested on Thursday"

Note her title. This case isn't going anywhere.

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/221299/confusion-and-anger-at-pattaya-bridge-club-raid/

Wasn't concerned it would go somewhere, but it is noteworthy / newsworthy that the Thai police have managed -yet again- to show off their competence to the world.

I actually wish that Britain (for example) would rub it in a little. Call in the Thai ambassador and ask "what the actual #@&%, dude?", or however you say that in British English.

Requesting a formal apology from the police chief to those people would also be a decent course of action.

- "But, but.. loss of face bla bla khrap?"

-- "Ah.. in order to lose face, one must first acquire one. Off you go now!"

(I know, I know.. you have to go back quite a while to find a Britain that wouldn't be messed with.)

Gunboat on it's way up river to Bangkok.

er, hang on a minute, not sure we've any left

[worgeordie]

There's just been a report on BBC World News about this,

so now the whole World knows how silly Thailand can be,

The raid did not find any gambling,so had to scrape the

bottom of the barrel to find an offence,so they did not

loose face,but that's exactly seems to have happened.

All the players were arrested,and by the looks of it fingerprinted

and spent several hours in Police Station.

regards Worgeordie

[Saan]

The Bridge League of Thailand has a deep and wide pedigree of members so someone may be going to have a restless sleep expecting repercussions for this snafu. For example:

"On Thursday we spoke with Khunying Chodchoy, the President of the Contract Bridge League of Thailand, who travelled to Pattaya to assist those arrested during the raid."

"Bridge allows players to accumulate points rather than win money and Khunying Chodchoy vowed to fight any possible Court case in the future, on behalf of those arrested on Thursday"

Note her title. This case isn't going anywhere.

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/221299/confusion-and-anger-at-pattaya-bridge-club-raid/

She is also the daughter of the founder of the Bangkok Bank.

I imagine that would also throw a bit of weight behind her objection to Bridge players being arrested.

A quick transfer to the south of Thailand to help sought out Muslim insurgency might be the next career move for the officer in charge of this debacle.

[TheSiemReaper]

While amusing as incidents go - it also goes to show the prejudice built into farang against Thais. If you put on the coppers' shoes for just a minute - you find them arriving in the middle of a card game (one they don't play or understand), to find no money changing hands but score sheets (which are used in illegal gambling dens throughout Asia - precisely to ensure money changes hands privately to protect the establishment) and so they charge those they find there. That seems pretty reasonable to me. They've now let them all go again too - when things turned out not to be the way they thought. (Though to be fair - I used to play bridge, in the UK, for a penny a point - so I don't think the assumption that gambling isn't taking place because it's bridge is correct either).

[cmsally]

There's a video showing the actual arrest and it seems to end up with the police piling them all into a songtaew and off to the police station. We were in stitches . The stupidity is so thick in the air it becomes a palpable entity.

[narkeddiver]

First they came for those who played Bridge and I said nothing because I don't play Bridge

Then they came for those who play dominoes and I said nothing because I don't play dominoes

Then they came for those who play snap and I said nothing because I don't play snap

Finally they came for those of us who play tiddlywinks and there was no one left to speak for us

[cmsally]

While amusing as incidents go - it also goes to show the prejudice built into farang against Thais. If you put on the coppers' shoes for just a minute - you find them arriving in the middle of a card game (one they don't play or understand), to find no money changing hands but score sheets (which are used in illegal gambling dens throughout Asia - precisely to ensure money changes hands privately to protect the establishment) and so they charge those they find there. That seems pretty reasonable to me. They've now let them all go again too - when things turned out not to be the way they thought. (Though to be fair - I used to play bridge, in the UK, for a penny a point - so I don't think the assumption that gambling isn't taking place because it's bridge is correct either).

In the video it is obvious that they (bridge players) were in a room up some stairs inside a building - not visible from outside. They (police) arrived with what I presume was some sort of search warrant. The guy on the desk seemed to say "they are here" which assumes they knew who they were looking for for. The three trillion dollar question is why did they have info, papers, and the incentive to arrest these people. Is there some sort of rival card playing group in Pattaya that would like to see them disbanded or did some disgruntled person really assume they were gambling.