Maj Surasak Pungyaem of the 25th Military Circle, based at the Royal Thai Army Region 4 headquarters in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, led the raid of 25 police and security personnel on a two-storey townhouse in the Saensuk Community area at 11pm after receiving a tip-off.
The officers arrived to find the front door locked, and forced entry into the home. Inside, they found 27 men and women of ages 30 to 70 gathered, “having fun” and playing the local gambling game “Prawn-Fish”, reported officers.
“There were 12 men and 15 women playing Prawn-Fish. They were in possession of B8,800 and had a table with gambling equipment on it,” one officer told The Phuket News.
Officers took about four hours to complete the raid and record the details of all the gamblers caught at the scene, the officer said.
The suspects were arrested and taken to Phuket City Police Station to be questioned by Maj Akkaradet Pongprom and Lt Col Pongpichan Chayanonpiriya.
Authorities later confirmed that they had charged the gamblers for playing a gambling game without permission.