Police Raid Nonthaburi Hotel Operating Illegal Gambling and Drug Ring
Police arrested a Chinese man and three Myanmar nationals after raiding a Nonthaburi hotel on July 26, where authorities found a sophisticated illegal gambling and drug operation exclusively serving Chinese customers.
NONTHABURI — More than 100 police officers raided a hotel on 26 July 2026, uncovering what authorities described as a base allegedly operated by Chinese grey capital offering gambling, drug parties and prostitution services exclusively to Chinese customers.
The raid was carried out under a search warrant issued by the Criminal Court at a hotel on Ngam Wong Wan Road in Bang Khen subdistrict, Mueang district, Nonthaburi.
Police found more than 40 people staying at the hotel, most of them Chinese, Shan and Myanmar nationals. Officers seized more than 200 items, including ketamine and Happy Water, drug packaging equipment, gambling materials such as chips, cards, dice and baccarat and hi-lo tables, as well as cash, bank account records, ATM cards, mobile phones and CCTV data.
A 33-year-old Chinese man was arrested on suspicion of possessing and selling a Category 2 psychotropic substance, ketamine, for commercial purposes and in a manner that could lead to its distribution among the public.
Three Myanmar nationals, aged between 24 and 31, were also arrested for allegedly entering and staying in Thailand without permission.
The operation followed complaints to the Crime Suppression Division that Chinese nationals were entering and leaving the hotel around the clock, while the premises were not open to the general public. Residents also reported alleged illegal gambling, drug parties and regular gatherings.
Investigators found that the hotel had unusually tight security. Guards at the car park reportedly alerted staff by radio whenever customers arrived before escorting them to a key-card-controlled lift. Customers then had to walk up stairs to the seventh and eighth floors, where someone with a key would open the doors. Even cleaning staff were reportedly prohibited from entering the areas.
Investigators said a Chinese grey-capital group had allegedly rented the entire hotel to serve Chinese customers exclusively. The second to sixth floors were reportedly used as accommodation, while the seventh and eighth floors had been converted into gambling venues and drug party spaces.
The operation allegedly included airport van transfers and a range of services covering accommodation, gambling, drugs and prostitution. Most staff were reportedly Chinese, allowing the group to tightly control access and prevent outsiders from entering.
Police also found that immigration officers had raided the hotel in 2023, arresting 26 Chinese gamblers and 23 Thai nationals and seizing gambling tables, slot machines and other equipment. The hotel was subsequently closed for renovations before reopening with tighter security.
During questioning, the Chinese suspect claimed he was merely a hotel foreman whose job was to deliver drugs to customers on instructions. He allegedly said drugs were stored in hotel rooms and delivered to designated locations or collected by customers after orders were placed.
He denied ownership of the drugs and 110,000 baht in cash found inside a safe.
