Slot Machines in Pattaya on the rise

Poll Lt Gen Sooktas Poompanmoung and his team made some preliminary investigation to search for the whereabouts of the operations. The police noticed that the machines located in three spots, six of them were placed in unknown restaurants, another six were kept in an unknown apartment located at 500/7 Thappraya Road, Moo 12 Nongprue, Banglamung, and the other seven machines were operated in a snooker club located at 65/33 Soi Thepprasit Moo 12 Nongprue, Banglamung. The police, however, were able to arrest and charge two men, Mr. Nattapong Sookpan, 30 year old, residing at 32/2 Moo 4 Banviang Sub-District, Rongkwang District, Prae Province, and a 19-year-old Mr. Sinsorn Phukham, residing at 107 Moo 7 Srimahaphoe Sub-District and District in Prachin Buri Province. Both of them confessed to the police that they were just ordinary staff workers hired to operate the business. The report was later made to Police General Teerapol Chindaluang, Chonburi Provincial Police Deputy Superintendent who is currently the Acting Superintendent of Pattaya Police Station.

According to the primary investigation, Mr. Nattapong Sookpan and Mr. Sinsorn Phukham confessed to the police that they were hired by the slot machine’s owner at 500 Baht each per day to operate the business. The police later detained both of them and confiscated 19 slot machines as evidence to continue the case according to the law.

Poll Gen Chindaluang (Chon Buri Provincial Police Deputy Superintendent and Pattaya Police Station Acting Superintendent) revealed to the reporter, “I was commanded by Police Major General Pramote Patumwong (Provincial Deputy Commander Region 2) to crack down the illegal articles in Pattaya area. According to this case, the arrest was successful because of the cooperation of Pattaya inhabitants especially in from the children’s parents. They complaint to the police that their children often skipped class to play slot machine instead of going to school which caused them to lose all their money and education.”

Poll Gen Chindaluang continued to reveal, “All confiscated slot machines will be transferred to the custom office at Laem Chabang so officials can examine if they are legal. The slot machine owners will be prosecuted if these slot machines turn out to be illegal. However, the police needs to make further investigations to find the real owners of these machines before submitting the case to the police according to the custom act. The police have been notified that the owner is one Mr. Amorn Galaxy who is currently living in Bangkok.”

Poll Gen Teerapol revealed that the area around and including Pattaya is a risky location used for conducting illegal businesses. He has commanded the local police in every area to monitor slot machine operations because it is illegal. However, these venues have devised measures to avoid arrest by the police by having customers exchange chips instead of using the cash.