Bangkok Huai Khwang Police Turned A Blind Eye To Gambling Den.

[Admin]

ILLEGAL GAMBLING

Police turned blind eye to gambling
By The Nation
2011-05-06

Station chief transferred; issue to be taken to national graft

The National police commissioner, General Wichean Potephosree, yesterday slapped a transfer order on the superintendent of Huai Khwang police station for allegedly allowing a gambling den to operate in the area under his jurisdiction.

The Office of the Public Sector AntiCorruption Commission (PACC) had claimed that this police station was allowing an online gambling den to operate from a major shopping mall and that policemen in the area had failed to join them in a raid on Wednesday. The PACC is planning to charge these officers with dereliction of duty if there is enough evidence.

However, police at the Huai Khwang station claim that they had no prior knowledge of the existence of a gambling parlour and that they could not join the raid because they had to provide security to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at the time.

The gambling parlour was found inside Esplanade shopping mall, which is under the jurisdiction of Huai Khwang police station.

PACC secretarygeneral Amphon Wongsiri said that after a tip from a "good citizen" about a gambling den being operated out of a shop called Mini Land, the commission had to rely on the 191 emergency police force to conduct a raid because the local officers were unavailable. The PACC does not have the authority to conduct a raid on its own.

Amphon said officers found gambling taking place openly at the shopping mall and that it would take the matter to the National AntiCorruption Commission and seek an investigation into the local police officers' conduct and possible role in the gambling den.

He acknowledged that getting local police to crack down on illegal establishments was a very difficult task and that in many cases, local police benefited from such businesses.

He added that while the PACC had no intention of stepping on anybody's toes, it could not sit by idly when it encountered illegal activities.

Pol Colonel Boonsong Narmkorn, chief of the Huai Khwang police station, said his men were busy on the day of the operation because they had to look after Abhisit's security at the Channel 9 television station nearby.

Boonsong added that he had sent police cars to pick up confiscated evidence at the mall, but since no gambling was actually taking place at the time of the raid and nobody was there, nobody could be charged.

"All the police can do now is send the gambling machines to the Customs Department to see if they were imported legally and get experts to see if the establishment was breaking the law," he said.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

There is a huge gambling den in Buriram with pay-off well into 6 figures monthly. Also several in the villages near me with huge pay -offs. Permission had to be granted from higher authorities than just the police.

[manupete]

As Nick or anybody that has lived in Thailand for some time and mixes with the locals knows, the Police are all in on it and stories that come out in the press and just for show, so it looks like something is being done about.Looks to me like Pol Colonel Boonsong Narmkorn was taking more than his fair cut so he was made an example of.Every knows that only people  that get arrested that  run the gambling den and sell the illegal lottery tickets are the ones not paying off the Police.One day they may make gambling legal in Thailand but not why the police and the others further up the ladder are raking it in 

[nookiebear]

It amazes me that when cases such as this come to the attention of the press the officers are always 'transferred' never demoted or sacked

[Prakhonchai Nick]

They are transferred so that they can teach others the "tricks of the trade"

[manupete]

And when Mini Land was raided the place was empty 

[Admin]

And when Mini Land was raided the place was empty 

Thats not so mini!! Looks like a real Casino!

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Was it a real casino, or just a collection of 1 and 5bt slot machine games such as those found on UK piers?

[urleft]

Definitely a lot of gambling going on around Buriram.  Knew of a woman running numbers, a guy lost his truck, and others with lots of debt. 

Some very sad as they ruin lives. 

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Despite their apparent concern about gambling, I understand the powers that be take no action when tipped off about gambling. It is the same with the election watchdog. They ask people to report when money exchanges hands, but when advised in advance when several hundred people were going to be paid off, did not show up.

Everything in Thailand is lip service. Laws exist but rarely are they rigorously enforced -hence my reference some weeks ago to Thailand always likely to be a Third World Country!

And within the next few weeks the money will be flowing again - 300bt here, 500 bt there, and after the election there will be the usual comments that vote buying was not an issue! There will be just 1/2 token prosecutions.

[nookiebear]

Was it a real casino, or just a collection of 1 and 5bt slot machine games such as those found on UK piers?

Just slot m/c's by the look of it!!

[manupete]

City Police Chief Counters Gambling Allegations
UPDATE : 6 May 2011
The metropolitan police chief has defended a police superintendent and asserted that he is clear of misconduct after an anti-corruption agency's team seized gambling devices at a popular shopping complex located in an area under the officer's juristiction.

 Metropolitan Police Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Chakthip Chaijinda disclosed that he has instructed Metropolitan Police Division 1 Commander Police Major General Wichai Sangprapai to launch an investigation after officials from the Public Sector Anti-corruption Commission Office, or PACC, raided and seized gambling devices at the gaming section of Esplanade Shopping Complex on Ratchadapisek Road.

 Chakthip said that the PACC did not notify the metropolitan police of the raid, but instead coordinated with the Special Branch Police Division, which did not have the authority for such an operation.


 Nonetheless, metropolitan police investigators were eventually dispatched to assist in the operation.

 Chakthip said since police at Huay Kwang station were preoccupied with another operation, they were unable to send personnel.

The police chief added that future raids must be carefully coordinated and metropolitan police must be notified first, adding any fear of leaked information or failure to arrest can be reproached.

 Chakthip asserted that police officers do not wish to interfere with PACC operations, but it must make slight changes in its procedures.

 He also said initial investigation into the case has not found Huay Kwang Police Superintendent Police Colonel Boonsong Namkorn of any wrongdoing.

 The Metropolitan Police Division 1 commander said Chakthip has instructed him to investigate the gambling allegations and determine whether the raided game palor is a gambling den.

 However, the PACC has not filed any charge and all related documents have been sent to special operations police investigators.

 The Metropolitan Police Division 1 will ask the PACC, experts and Customs Department representatives to give testimonies on the alleged illegal activities at the crime scene and determine whether the gaming machines are legal