The Department of Provincial Administration (DPA) raided a pub in Sukhothai province early on Saturday and detained 154 underage patrons.
A DPA investigation team headed by Narong Thipsiri raided “Club 64” in Soi Pracha Ruamjai, Tambon Thani in Muang Sukhothai around 12.30am following complaints from teachers and parents that the venue allowed access to youngsters aged under 20 and also operated beyond the legal opening hours.
Undercover officials entered the pub and guarded two secret doors that had reportedly been installed to enable the underage patrons to flee.
Out of the 260 patrons rounded up from the pub, 154 were found to be under 20 years old — 67 of them under 18. The youngest one was 15 years old. The officials had them sign an agreement and called their parents to pick them up. Officials also fined 22 patrons who did not carry their Thai national ID cards. They seized two sachets containing ketamine and some methamphetamine pills.
Officials levelled five charges against pub manager Mongkol Panthong, 22. The charges were: operating a night entertainment venue without permission, selling alcoholic drinks to persons aged under 20, selling alcoholic drinks outside the legal operating hours, instigating or promoting youths to behave inappropriately, and distributing/exchanging/giving alcohol to minors.
The DPA officials would propose to the provincial governor to shutter the pub for five years for violating the law, Narong said.
