Six senior police officers in Pathum Thani have been transferred to inactive posts after raids on two popular pubs near Rangsit University found many underage student drinkers.
The raids followed a major crackdown announced this week by the military government on sales of alcohol near schools.
National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang signed the order to move five senior officers from Pak Khlong Rangsit station and a Pathum Thani deputy chief to "assist" with work at Royal Thai Police headquarters, said police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri.
The transfers came after a team of 100 police, led by Pol Lt Gen Prawut, raided the Bungalow and Mor 3/2 pubs inside the Muang Ek housing estate in Pathum Thani in the early hours of Saturday.
The raiding party found many underage customers, mostly university students, inside the popular nightspots, Thai media reported.
A total of 27 customers aged below 20 were found at Bungalow and eight others at the second pub. All were taken to undergo urine tests. Initial test results found no traces of narcotic use.
Checks found the two pubs had no permits to operate as nighttime entertainment venues, but only had permits to sell alcohol, said Pol Lt Gen Prawut.
As well, he said, the two businesses were found to have operated beyond the legal hours and most of the customers were university students.
Thairath Online reported that authorities revoked the pubs' permits and ordered them closed as they had violated the order of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
The order was issued on Thursday under Section 44 — the "dictator clause" of the interim constitution — in response to growing concerns about underage drinking and alcohol sales near schools.