CHON BURI: An entertainment venue in Pattaya is facing a closing order after it was found to be operating without permission and sachets of white powder suspected to be drugs were found scattered around the premises, police said.
Pattaya police, with support from a special operations unit of the Provincial Police Region 2, were deployed to patrol various entertainment venues in Pattaya City in Bang Lamung district as a deterrent against crime.
As of 2.30am on Sunday, most of the entertainment venues were found to have closed by 2am, but some remained open beyond closing time.
In Soi Kophai, the police found one establishment was still open with some 30 young customers inside.
On seeing the police, the customers gradually left, leaving the venue with only a few employees to collect glasses and bottles of alcoholic drinks and do the cleaning.
But when police scoured the venue, they found many plastic sachets, some with powder in them, scattered around the premises, including the parking area.
In a search of a black Honda Civic car, the police found a plastic bag containing a lump of white substance in it. Nobody claimed to be the owner. The car was impounded for examination.
A number of venue staff were detained. They were charged with operating the shop without permission, opening beyond closing time and allowing the use of drugs. The sachets found at the venue would be tested to see if they contained any kind of illegal substance.
Since the shop had been raided several times before and prevous customers had tested positive for drugs, and had then reopened without permission, the police would report to the provincial governor and recommend that it be ordered closed.
The police did not disclose the name of the venue.
