PATTAYA: Police raided a nightclub on Pattaya's Walking Street early Sunday morning for staying open beyond legal operating hours and found traces of drug abuse among customers.
A team of 100 police and administrative officials stormed into Club Panda at 3.30am and found more than 300 Thai and foreign customers inside, many dancing to music. Alcohol was still being served after the 2am closing time. Most of the foreign customers were Chinese.
The raid followed the incident on Dec 27 when a Chinese customer was assaulted and badly injured by the club’s guards. The injured man is still in hospital.
Staff were ordered to turn off the music and turn on the lights. Officials separated the customers by gender, checked their identification documents and conducted urine tests on them. Thirty-nine people, twenty of them women, were found positive for drugs and taken to Muang Pattaya police station.
The club manager was charged with staying open and selling alcoholic drinks after hours. Officials did not find illicit drugs and other illegal items inside the club.
