Metropolitan Police officers, alongside anti-narcotics agents, busted a hidden entertainment venue, disguised as an internet café, in Bangkok's Huai Khwang district on Saturday morning, arresting 11 suspects and seizing an array of illicit drugs.
The raid took place at approximately 3am Saturday, at a venue known among patrons as "Ran Lap Soi 1" (Secret Shop Soi 1), located off Pracha Uthit Road in Huai Khwang.
The operation was led by Met police deputy chief Pol. Maj. Gen. Teeradej Thumsutee and Met Police Division 1 chief Pol. Maj. Gen Worasak Pisitbannakorn, acting on information compiled by the Narcotics Control Centre and the Bangkok Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
Investigating officers discovered that the venue had been operating surreptitiously, behind a storefront staged to look like a standard gaming and internet shop.
The owners used large canvas sheets and strategically parked cars to obscure the entrance from the street and deflect suspicion. The illegal pub catered exclusively to regular customers and individuals referred by trusted insiders.
According to police, the clientele consisted primarily of male bar hosts and entertainment workers seeking a venue in which to socialise after legitimate nightlife establishments had closed for the night.
The venue allegedly sold various illegal narcotics on-site, including ketamine, ecstasy and "pod K" (vapes laced with ketamine), and permitted patrons to consume the drugs inside.
Authorities noted severe safety violations at the property, describing the building as a completely sealed structure with only a single point of entry and exit, no emergency fire escapes and no operating permits.
Among those arrested were four people identified as the venue’s operators and drug dealers, alongside seven patrons who tested positive for illegal substances.
A search of the premises uncovered quantities of crystal methamphetamine (Ice), ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine vapes and standard e-cigarettes. A significant stash of illegal narcotics was also found hidden in a second-floor residential room belonging to the designated owner.
Police have charged a man, identified only as ‘Somchai’, the self-proclaimed owner, with multiple offenses including the illegal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, illegal possession of electronic cigarettes, operating an entertainment venue without a license and violating official closing hour regulations.
All 11 suspects and the confiscated evidence have been handed over to investigators at the Huai Khwang police station.
