The national police chief has ordered police nationwide to strictly monitor the operation of night entertainment venues after a big bust in Bangkok.
Night businesses that do not comply with the law will be shut down for five years and repeat offenders will face one-year imprisonment, said deputy national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol.
Yesterday, Pol Gen Torsak revealed that the national police chief, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, had assigned senior officers from the protection and suppression division to closely inspect night entertainment venues.
Order No.22/2558 issued by the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order regulates that clubs must not allow guests under 20 and must operate within permitted hours. The order also prohibits weapons, explosives, human trafficking, and gambling.
"I would like to tell police stations all across the country that the force will take this seriously and carry out random raids from time to time. I hope they will conduct constant inspections so people can trust law enforcement," said Pol Gen Torsak.
He said if officers find entertainment venues that violate the law, local police will face disciplinary punishment as well. Also, if it is found that any clubs have violated the law, police will either revoke their licence or issue a five-year shutdown.
Anyone who resumes the business illegally will face a year in prison.
Bangkok South District Court handed out two-month prison sentences and a 4,000-5,000 baht fine to seven nightclub visitors whose drug tests were positive. Due to their confessions, the court granted them two-year suspensions.
Four Chinese tourists and two Thai women confessed to the court that they had taken methamphetamine and ketamine. The other Thai men also admitted to using narcotics.
Seven of them were arrested during the raid at the Jinling, Leela and Wip Wup Car Wash buildings on Charoen Rat Road in Yannawa of Sathorn district early on Wednesday.
Inquiry officers sent 60-80 suspects to prosecutors, 48 of whom had confessed to the police at first but denied the charges in court later.
Only seven of them could be processed and sentenced because they confessed to wrongdoing in court.
The other 56 suspects remain in police custody.
They denied the charges under the Narcotics Act and will request that prosecution be postponed today.