Deputy National Police chief Surachate Hakpal had urgently ordered Trat and Chonburi police to investigate the suspicious building in Pattaya owned by the Chinese man who planned to allegedly conduct a shady business.
The building used to be a large Thai barbecue restaurant but it was closed for renovation.
The police, armed with a search warrant, turned up in force at the building and promptly handed it to the person who claimed to be a keeper – a 17-year-old who lives in Sattahip district.
On entering the building, the police were shocked: they found it was being renovated into a large baccarat casino.
Inside they found a carpeted hall, a chip exchange room, two VIP rooms, a security room, a little kitchen, washrooms, storage room and two rooms for accommodation.
The police also came across six baccarat tables, a Dragon Tiger table, 500 dice, around 400-500 decks of cards and other gambling equipment. All furniture was spanking new.
The police seized all items and detained the teen keeper in a bid to find the real owner.
According to a brief investigation, the casino was being built on a 16-rai plot of land. The building has been owned by the Chinese investor since 2016. The land had been separated to construct a boxing stadium, karaoke, Thai barbecue restaurant and Chinese restaurant, which were closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The police are conducting a thorough investigation to find the owner as they only know he is a Chinese male named Ming.
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