KOH PHANGAN — Tourist police raided an illegal poker game on Koh Phangan and arrested 10 foreign nationals, seizing more than 130,000 baht (about $4,200) in cash and gambling equipment, authorities said Wednesday.
The raid took place around 10 p.m. on December 2 at a rental house in Moo 1 on the Gulf of Thailand island, following a tip that foreigners were gathering there to gamble, the Tourist Police Bureau said. Officers said they saw several motorcycles parked outside and people playing cards behind partially closed curtains before entering with video evidence.
Inside, police found the suspects — six Russians, a Romanian, an Israeli, a German and a British national — seated around a felt-covered table with cards, poker chips and an automatic shuffler, according to the bureau.
A 36-year-old Russian man, identified only as Anton, told police he rented the house for about 30,000 baht ($940) a month and had invited friends to play poker through phone calls and messaging apps. He allegedly handled the exchange of cash for chips and was found with a large amount of money in a waist bag, police said.
Officers seized 134,950 baht ($4,220), several decks of cards, multiple sets of poker chips and related equipment. All 10 suspects were taken to Koh Phangan Police Station and charged with illegal gambling. Anton faces an additional charge as the alleged organizer.
Gambling, including poker, is illegal in Thailand except for state lotteries and certain horse races. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s government has tightened enforcement after reversing a brief exemption for international poker events. On October 22, Anutin rescinded a July 30 decision by the previous administration that had recognized poker as a sport, reaffirming the government’s pledge to crack down on illegal gambling operations.
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