Twenty-five customers aged below 20 were found at a food shop that served as a front for a pub during a raid conducted in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district in the early hours of Saturday.
Officers from the Department of Provincial Administration's (DPA) law enforcement operations centre and territorial defence volunteers raided Larb Ped Yaso Jae Nim Rong Muang, a food shop located in a three-storey building near Wat Chamni Hattakarn on Rama I Road, around 3am.
The raid followed complaints that the shop, known for selling larb ped, or spicy minced duck salad, was actually an entertainment venue.
The arresting team said the pub was operating on the second floor and equipped with sound-proof walls. About 250 customers were inside the pub, many dancing to music and drinking alcohol. Among them, 25 visitors – 21 Lao nationals and four Thais - were under 20.
Many customers attempted to flee as the raid commenced, but the officers blocked the exits and surrounded the premises.
The team also apprehended Seven employees of the pub, who were illegal migrants from Laos and wearing polo shirts displaying the food shop's logo.
The owner of the shop-cum-pub was arrested on charges of operating the pub without permission, selling alcohol to underage patrons, serving alcoholic drinks beyond the legal operating hours and hiring illegal migrants.
Ronnarong Thipsiri, inspector-general of the DPA in his capacity as director of the law enforcement operations centre, said on Saturday that the pub would face a five-year closure order, as the venue clearly violated the law and was located near several temples.
Mr Ronnarong said his centre will propose the Royal Thai Police to issue an order for the pub's closure and will also coordinate with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to inspect this commercial building for improper usage, which is a violation of the Building Control Act.
Earlier, residents had filed complaints with Pathum Wan police and district authorities regarding the pub, but no progress had been made.
According to complainants, the pub was operating until dawn almost every day and had been selling alcoholic drinks beyond the legal hours. Many Laotian nationals often visited the venue, which allegedly hired migrant workers.
