48 Chinese tourists arrested in Thailand pub drug bust

By Hoang Phong   June 4, 2023 | 09:00 pm PT
48 Chinese tourists arrested in Thailand pub drug bust
People walk on Khaosan Road in Bangkok, Thailand, November 2, 2021. Photo by Reuters
The Thai police have arrested 48 Chinese tourists for allegedly using illegal drugs following a pre-dawn raid on a pub in Bangkok's Huai Khwang District.

The raiding officers found 30 men and 18 women partying in four karaoke rooms and seized cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, and "happy water," a drug cocktail, along with drug-taking paraphernalia, Bangkok Post reported.

They are investigating if they broke immigration laws and whether the pub operator gave them the drugs.

A preliminary investigation found the venue was exclusively meant for wealthy Chinese customers.

It has four karaoke rooms and charges customers 6,500-15,000 baht (US$186-430) for an evening, excluding food and drinks.

Thailand received one million Chinese tourists between January and May 18 after China's border reopening, Reuters reported.

The government expects the number of Chinese visitors to meet its target of five million this year and spend 446 billion baht (US$13.18 billion).

 
 
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