Police Raid Phuket Villa Gambling Den, Arrest 21

Chalong Police investigated and raided an illegal 'pao' dice gambling den secretly operating via word-of-mouth with a pickup service; gamblers did not know the location but were still caught. Gamblers fled in panic, some jumping walls. Twenty-one people were arrested on November 1, 2026. Pol. Lt. Col. Surasak Jaidee, Chalong Police Superintendent, led a search of a villa in Rawai, Muang District, Phuket after a tip from a concerned citizen about a group secretly organizing 'pao' gambling, also known as 'kung pla.'

Investigation revealed the gambling den operated covertly, using word-of-mouth among select gamblers. Players were summoned to a meeting point before being driven to the gambling venue, unaware of its location. After gambling, they were driven back to the original meeting point to avoid detection. This secretive scheme could not escape Chalong Police investigation. After officers surveilled and found gamblers entering and leaving a villa in Rawai multiple times, they gathered evidence and planned the raid.

The moment police identified themselves and requested entry, the gamblers inside panicked and fled out the back. Some even jumped over the villa walls to escape arrest. However, officers controlled the situation and apprehended those who fled. Police arrested 19 gamblers and 2 drivers, totaling 21 people, and seized gambling equipment and over 100,000 baht in cash. Initial estimates suggest the gambling turnover reached several hundred thousand baht.

This arrest resulted from cooperation between police and the public, in line with the Royal Thai Police's strong community policy. Information from a concerned citizen was the crucial starting point that enabled officers to investigate and successfully dismantle the gambling den. Chalong Police warn those secretly gambling and those organizing gambling in the area that police are ready to investigate, suppress, and enforce the law strictly and decisively, with no exceptions.