Barely a day had passed in the bustling Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi when a surprise raid was carried out in two of its notorious pubs. With the sun yet to break the horizon, hints of daybreak peeking at 1:30am, two clandestine establishments found themselves at the mercy of the local authorities—an unceremonious end to this underground playground. The pubs in question—Highlight Banpong and Arena Banpong—were nothing short of local legends in the nightlife scene. Yet, beneath the glitz and glamour, a darker underbelly was finally exposed.
Shrouded in swirls of deception, the man at the heart of this scandal was 30-year-old Thanawat Wijitcharasakul, the unassuming owner of both establishments. His arrest sent shockwaves through the community with the revelation of the illegal nature of his operations. The investigation was instigated by a tip-off hinting at the sordid details within the establishments: an open violation of the legal age of entrance, unimaginable operating hours pushing well past dawn, and an unfathomable connection to the illicit drug trade.
When authorities stormed the doors of the pubs, what they found only confirmed the dark accusations. Hidden corners of the pubs yielded a stash of assorted illegal narcotics chiefly composed of ketamine and two unlicensed firearms. Among the estimated 400 patrons present during the raid, an alarming 77—spanning 31 men and 46 women—tested positive for drugs. Perhaps the most disturbing revelation was the presence of underage customers mingling among the adult crowd, blatantly unbothered by the legal drinking age.
Thanawat’s arrest was only the tip of the iceberg. As he was handed over to Ban Pong police for further legal proceedings, he faced a litany of charges. His alleged crimes ranged from operating unlicensed pubs to selling alcohol well beyond the permitted time limit and to underage customers. The severity of his offenses was underscored by the discovery of drugs and firearms in his establishments.
The illicit thread pulled by his arrest has begun to unravel an even bigger scandal within the local police department. Led by deputy provincial police chief Pol Col Saifa Jirawantanasakul, an investigative panel was established to probe the involvement of five senior officers at Ban Pong police station. Among them are police chief Pol Col Piyapong Wongketjai, deputy superintendent Pol Lt Col Chan Kamareesakul, Pol Lt Col Manop Namprasantai of the investigative division, suppression inspector Pol Lt Col Veerachai Kawikitdurong, and inspector Pol Lt Col Pitsanu Cherdchom.
The implications of this investigation are far-reaching. It extends beyond Thanawat and the 77 pubgoers who tested positive for drugs, all of whom now face the unremitting gaze of the law. An inquiry into the source of the narcotics has also been initiated, threatening to unmask a striking reality that could expose a broader network of corruption.
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