General Kittirat Panphet, the Chief of the Royal Thai Police, issued a "most urgent" police memorandum on August 28, 2025, ordering a comprehensive investigation into a repeatedly raided but still illegally operating casino in the Don Mueang area, and vowed to punish police officers involved or negligent according to the hierarchical system.
The memorandum requires the Deputy Director-General of the Royal Thai Police (Crime Suppression), the Commander of the Fifth Police District, and related units to act immediately, strictly implement gambling control policies, and, based on the police discipline orders issued in 2015 and 2024, initiate administrative accountability for commanders at all levels who fail to effectively prevent and combat gambling crimes in their jurisdictions. The punishment mechanism is graded by the number of arrests: accountability is required for 20-50 arrests for police inspectors or station chiefs, further investigation up to metropolitan or provincial police chiefs for 50-100 arrests, and submission to the National Police Chief and commanders of Metropolitan Areas 1-9 for more than 100 arrests.
On August 27, 2025, a joint task force composed of the Provincial Administrative Office and the Ministry of Interior raided a long-term illegally operated casino in the Don Mueang area, arresting a large number of gambling suspects and seizing millions of Thai Baht in cash and multiple pieces of evidence. The police pointed out that the venue had been inspected multiple times before but continued to operate, exposing lapses in local police supervision.
To enhance enforcement effectiveness, the Police Chief instructed:
The Fifth Police District to thoroughly verify the facts of the case, follow up on complaints through the 1599 hotline and the JCOMS system, handle them legally, and report regularly;
The Metropolitan Police Bureau to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the case's organizers, financial chains, and potential money laundering activities, and to hold related police officers administratively responsible;
The National Police Headquarters of Districts 1-9 to strengthen patrols in high-risk areas, especially those with frequent illegal gambling, and to deploy support from the Fifth District or Metropolitan police forces, establishing checkpoints and blockades for raids;
The Crime Suppression Division and the Immigration Bureau to collaborate in intelligence gathering and operational support.
The police emphasize that police officers are strictly prohibited from participating in, condoning, or benefiting from illegal gambling in any form. All units must submit a preliminary investigation report by September 1, thereafter reporting progress every 15 days until further notice.
Additionally, the police are pursuing Anuwat Kiatdongmongkol (also known as "Panui"), the landowner of the casino, who has now fled to the northern region. The police also suspect that the large-scale arrest of 176 people might be a plot to discredit the police, and are further investigating whether someone intentionally set up the situation to damage the reputation of the Royal Thai Police.
As of now, the Don Mueang Police Station has legally transferred 176 gambling suspects to court and rented buses for large-scale suspect transportation. Major General Jessada, the commander of the Second Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, has also been ordered to expand the scope of the investigation, verify the legality of building permits, and investigate why previous search warrants were not approved, aiming to fundamentally eradicate illegal gambling dens.
