At a press conference held at the Phuket Provincial Volunteer Defence Corps (OrSor) headquarters, Phuket Provincial Palad (Chief Administration Officer) Rungruang Thimabut announced the arrests following a late-night raid on Safari Lounge Bar.
The operation followed a tip-off received at about 1am the same day by a special operations unit of the Phuket Provincial Administration. Authorities were informed that Safari Lounge Bar, located on the Baan Don - Cherng Talay Rd, was allegedly being operated illegally by Russian nationals. The venue was reported to feature live music, operate beyond permitted hours and sell hookah in a commercial area.
During the inspection, officers found the premises operating as a full entertainment venue, serving food and alcoholic beverages, with a DJ playing music and a large number of foreign patrons inside. Several hookah smoking areas were discovered within the bar.
A Russian national, named by officials only as ‘Kamil’, was found managing the business. Some employees at the venue were Myanmar nationals.
Officers examined documentation at the scene and seized a large quantity of hookah equipment along with cash as evidence. Two suspects were taken into custody and handed over to investigators for legal proceedings.
Kamil faces multiple charges, including importing prohibited goods into the Kingdom and offences under the Customs Act B.E. 2560 (2017) related to handling goods connected to an offence. He is also charged with selling or providing hookah products, electric hookahs or e-cigarettes and related substances in violation of Consumer Protection Committee Order No. 9/2015.
Additional charges include operating an entertainment establishment without permission under the Entertainment Establishments Act B.E. 2509 and its amendments, specifically for operating beyond midnight; selling alcoholic beverages during prohibited hours under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act B.E. 2551; working in the Kingdom without a work permit in violation of the Foreign Workers Management Act B.E. 2560; and employing foreign workers without notifying the registrar within the required 15-day period.
A Myanmar national employee was charged with failing to notify the registrar of the employer, workplace and primary occupation within 15 days of starting work, in breach of Section 64/2 of the Alien Employment Management Act B.E. 2560 (2017).
All suspects and seized items were handed over to the investigating officer for further legal action. Authorities said the crackdown forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure entertainment venues in Phuket comply with licensing, labour and consumer protection laws.