Bangkok Police Chief Vows Crackdown on Illegal Venues
Bangkok's police chief convened a meeting to announce a strict crackdown on illegal pubs, gambling dens, and vice, while also preparing for the upcoming IMF-World Bank annual meeting. He thanked officers for flood relief efforts and urged all stations to ensure security and prevent detainee escapes. The session lasted roughly an hour and included awards for exemplary police work.
On October 10 at 11:30 a.m., Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom presided over the fourth administrative meeting of the year at Metropolitan Police Headquarters. Attending were deputy commissioners, provincial commanders, and 213 officers from the Bangkok command. The meeting congratulated newly promoted officers, presented awards for outstanding police work, and communicated the commissioner's policy directives.
Pol Lt Gen Siam said this was the first administrative meeting of the new fiscal year 2070. He thanked all officers for their efforts over the past two years, urged continued cooperation, and called on supervisors to guide, encourage, and work together with their teams. He cited the upcoming annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank governors in 2026 as an example of the extensive preparations required, noting that all police stations must coordinate to secure the event for approximately 16,000 participants and prevent any security threats.
Regarding flood relief, he thanked Pol Lt Gen Thawat Wongssanga for overseeing traffic management and distribution of relief supplies, confirming that the Metropolitan Police stands ready to provide drinking water, rice, and other assistance where needed.
The commissioner emphasized a strong crackdown on illegal entertainment venues, gambling dens, and all forms of vice. He highlighted the Samsen area as a current hotspot and warned that any venue found operating outside the law would be ordered closed immediately, with possible impacts on personnel transfers. He described a zoning system using red, yellow, and green designations and stressed that establishments involving minors, drug trafficking, or dishonest business practices would be shut down. He urged all areas to conduct inspections, detain violators, and ensure that suspects do not escape, citing a recent check at Suthisarn Police Station that confirmed no detainees had fled.
The meeting lasted about one hour.
