Bangkok police and narcotics control officials have raided a clandestine entertainment venue in Huai Khwang district that operated behind the facade of a gaming shop, arresting 11 suspects and seizing various types of drugs and vape products.
Acting on a search warrant issued on Friday, officers searched a four-storey commercial building on Pracha Uthit Road on Saturday morning.
The raid was part of a nationwide crackdown on entertainment venues ordered by national police chief Kittharath Punpetch following the fatal fire at a well-known beer hall in Chatuchak district of Bangkok last Sunday.
According to police, investigators had received intelligence about a venue known among patrons as a “secret pub” that operated around the clock and also supplied customers with various narcotics.
Investigators discovered the establishment was concealed inside a four-storey shophouse that had been disguised externally as a gaming shop, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thumsuthee, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Tarpaulins and parked vehicles were used to obscure the premises from public view, he added. (Story continues below)
After-hours secret
The venue, known among regular patrons as “Ran Lap Soi 1” (Secret Shop Soi 1), reportedly catered exclusively to a closed group of customers, making access difficult for outsiders.
Police said the venue was frequented by bar hosts, entertainers and their associates, particularly after other nightlife establishments had closed. Investigators said that drugs, including ketamine, MDMA and ketamine vape products, were sold openly on the premises.
Authorities said customers were able to consume drugs at their tables, while the interior was sealed off with blacked-out coverings, making it difficult to distinguish day from night.
Police also expressed concern over safety conditions inside the building, citing a lack of emergency exits, a single entrance and exit point, and an enclosed layout that failed to meet basic safety standards. Investigators found the establishment was operating without the required licences.
During the raid, the arresting team found a fully functioning entertainment venue on the ground floor complete with sound and lighting systems. Twenty-eight patrons and staff were present. Drug tests found traces of narcotics, including methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and ketamine, in several people.
A mezzanine level had been converted into a VIP room where drugs were consumed, investigators said. Additional quantities of narcotics and e-cigarettes were found hidden in living quarters inside the building.
The confiscated drugs included 224 MDMA tablets, 51 grammes of crystal methamphetamine, 48 grammes of cocaine and 326 grammes of ketamine. Officers also seized 19 ketamine vape pods, 38 e-cigarettes, 91,000 baht in cash, two rings and a gold-framed amulet. The seized items were worth about 300,000 baht.
Of the 11 suspects arrested, four were identified as the venue’s owner and staff allegedly involved in drug sales, while seven were customers who tested positive for narcotics.
The owner, identified only as Somchai, was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of controlled substances, operating an entertainment venue without a licence, violating operating-hour regulations and possessing prohibited imported goods, including e-cigarettes.
Another suspect was charged with possession of ketamine, while nine employees and customers face drug-related charges.
All 11 suspects and the seized evidence were taken to the Huai Khwang police station for further legal proceedings.
