In the early hours of July 18, 2023, a team of more than 30 Pattaya police officers, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Pichit Chamhuab and Pol. Maj. Suchart Manakarn, conducted a raid at the Dirty Pattaya pub located in Soi Ko Phai, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. During the raid, eight tourists were detained after testing positive for purple urine, indicating possible drug use.
As the officers approached the pub, some of the tourists attempted to flee, but they were swiftly intercepted. The establishment had more than 100 tourists present both inside and outside the premises at the time of the raid. The police ordered the music to be turned off, the lights to be turned on, and the men and women to be separated. They then proceeded to check the identification cards of the detained individuals and conducted drug tests.
Eight tourists, consisting of six men and two women, tested positive for drugs, evident from their purple urine. Additionally, officers searched the tourists’ cars for weapons and drugs, prompted by a previous incident involving a teenager firing a gun in the parking area near the pub. Although no firearms were found, a zip-closed plastic envelope containing a white powder resembling drugs was discovered in one of the tourists’ vehicles, which was subsequently collected as evidence.
The pub’s shopkeeper was questioned in connection with the incident, and the police intend to pursue further legal proceedings against the individuals involved.
