SONGKHLA - Sixteen gamblers were arrested and about 400,000 baht seized during a raid on a rubber plantation in Hat Yai which was operating as an open-air casino on Thursday night.
A team of soldiers, police and local officials swooped on the rubber plantation at Soi Prasarnmit in tambon Khuan Lang around 9pm on Thursday.
A large shade net had been erected around the plantation to screen it, with many cars and motorcycles parked inside.
As the authorities arrived gamblers started running away in panic, but 16 were caught - four men and 12 women. Others made good their escape - but left their transport behind.
Gambling gear, about 400,000 baht cash, 20 cars and pickup trucks and around 40 motorcycles were seized.
The gamblers were handed over to Hat Yai police station for legal action, a member of the combined team said.
It was the gambling den's opening night, the officer said.
An investigation found it was run by the same person whose gambling den in Hat Yai was raided and shut down in early January.
Thursday night's raid was led by Col Jatuporn Kalampasut, chief of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 intelligence office.
Around 60 vehicles - cars, pickup trucks and motorcycles - found parked at the open-air gambling den concealed in a rubber plantion that was raided in Hat Yai district on Thursday night. Sixteen gamblers were caught. Others made good their escape, but left their transport behind. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)