Police hunt Chuwit 'casinos' in Phuket

PHUKET: Police yesterday (August 15) raided seven locations around the island listed in a post on Bangkok MP Chuwit Kamolvisit’s Facebook page as being casinos.

Paritta Wangkiat

Thursday 16 August 2012, 11:01AM

Col Wanchai confiscates cash from a game at the gamblers' den in Kathu last night.

The MP’s “Chuwit I’m No. 5” Facebook page listed casinos in all three districts of Phuket:

On Soi Bailan in Phuket City, opposite the Siam Commercial Bank;
At Chalong Circle, owned by “Ko Bee”;
In Kuku, on the outskirts of Phuket Town, owned by “Ko Ber”;
Close to Kathu Municipality school, owned by “Ko Nong”;
Close to the Heroines Monument, owned by “Ko Jai”; and
Close to Phuket International Airport, owned by “a local official”.

Mr Chuwit warned Phuket people to be aware of this issue and urged them to help him “bring back justice to society”.

In response to the post, a police team led by the Phuket Provincial Police Superintendent of Investigations, Pol Col Wanchai Palawan, raided the seven locations listed by Mr Chuwit.

However, they found only one “casino”, in a work camp close to Kathu Municipality School, which also contains a place for raising and training fighting cocks.

Eleven people were arrested, and B4,000 in cash and gambling equipment was seized.

“It shouldn’t really be called a casino,” said Col Wanchai. “It’s a kind of gathering place where a small group of people come to gamble after work.

“When we talk about a casino, you would expect at least 50 gamblers to be involved,” he added.

As for the other six locations police raided last night, Col Wanchai said he thought they are probably similar operations, which move from one place to another from time to time.

He stressed that the Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, Pol Maj Gen Chonasit Wattanavrangkul, has consistently pushed his men to suppress the establishment of casinos in Phuket.

In April Mr Chuwit alleged that there were large casinos operating in Phuket. Officers of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division came down from Bangkok to look for them but came up empty-handed.