The governor of Khon Kaen province has ordered the closure of a pub in Mueang district for five years, effective from January 8th, after it was discovered that an underage girl was allowed entry.
The pub, “Suksant Khon Kaen”, entered the public spotlight after former Olympic gold medallist Somrak Kamsing was accused of having a sexual relationship with the 17-year-old girl, whom he picked up at the pub on December 10th.
A complaint was subsequently filed with the Mueang district police by a parent of the minor, leading to a police investigation and the arrest of Somrak on a charge of taking a minor for an indecent act. Somrak is, currently, out on bail.
According to the governor’s order, the owners of the pub did not deny the police charge, that they broke the law by allowing the entry of the underage girl, but claimed that guards had been assigned to check customers and had failed to do their jobs properly.
The pub’s owners have the right to appeal the governor’s order in the provincial Administrative Court within 90 days.
Meanwhile, another pub in the province, “Gravity 365”, was also ordered to close for five years by the governor for allegedly selling alcohol to underage customers and for operating beyond permissible hours.
