The Diamond KTV karaoke bar owner and 52 patrons, many of whom are Chinese nationals, were granted bail by the Criminal Court on the grounds that their gathering for alleged drug misuse constituted a threat to society.
Following their arrest late on Friday night, all 53 suspects were escorted to court by Makkasan police on Sunday to ask for a continuation of their imprisonment throughout the investigation. On the property, many types of illegal narcotics, including ketamine, cocaine, Ecstasy, and Happy Water, as well as drug paraphernalia, were discovered.
The owner, a 34-year-old Chinese man named Nui Oi, is accused of operating an entertainment establishment without a license, selling alcohol without a license, selling alcohol outside of the legal hours, and enabling patrons to bring firearms and illegal substances onto the property.
The 53 suspects have been split into three groups by Makkasan police. 18 Chinese and Thai clients who have been accused of possessing Category 1 narcotics make up the first group.
23 people from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar are included in the second group and are accused of possessing Category 1 and Category 2 narcotics. Eleven Chinese people are included in the third category and are accused of carrying both Category 1 narcotics and Category 1 psychoactive substances.
With bonds ranging from 50,000 to 75,000 baht apiece, each defendant submitted an application for bail. However, the court rejected each application, noting the gravity of the alleged offenses.
The superintendent and deputy superintendent of the Makkasan police station were immediately transferred to inactive posts at the operations center of the Royal Thai Police, pending disciplinary investigations, following the raid on the Diamond KTV karaoke bar by officers from the Children and Women Protection Division.
The building where the entertainment venue is located is to be shuttered for five years, and no permits are to be issued for its usage during that time, according to an order from the Huai Khwang district administration.
The structure formerly housed a massage parlor, which closed because of sluggish business. The building’s request to host a karaoke bar was turned down by a Thai man who was thought to be a Chinese businessman’s candidate. Until last Friday when it was busted, the bar had already opened illegally.
