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Thai Police Arrest Elderly Bridge Players In Pattaya


Mekong
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A group of elderly bridge players in the Thai resort town of Pattaya were surprised by a visit from the police on Wednesday.

Thirty-two foreigners, including British, Swedish, Norwegian and Australian citizens, were arrested during the anti-gambling raid.

They said they were not playing for money, but were held for possessing too many unregistered playing cards.

Thailand's military rulers have vowed to crack down on corruption and crime.

The players were released on bail on Thursday, after 12 hours in custody.

In addition to 12 Britons, those arrested included three Norwegians, three Swedes, two Australians, a German, a Dane, a Canadian and a New Zealander, AFP news agency reported.

An 84-year-old Dutch woman was also among those held, local paper Pattaya Onereported.

Police said they raided the bridge club after its anti-corruption centre received a tip-off.

The members had broken a 1935 law, the Playing Cards Act, which prohibits individuals from possessing more than 120 playing cards, Pattaya One said.

The president of Thailand's bridge league has travelled to Pattaya to explain to police how bridge is played, the paper added.

Thailand has strict anti-gambling laws, with nearly all forms of gambling prohibited.

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...d-asia-35491852

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unregistered cards? geeeze

 

anything about this in the fine print of rules of what you can bring in ?

 

 

 

 

 

Actually there is Section 8 of Playing Cards Act B.E. 2486 (1943) states

 

 

"No person shall possess more than one hundred and twenty playing cards or sell playing cards irrespective of their quantity, unless those playing cards have been produced by, or have been stamped with the seal of, the Excise Department."

 

http://www.thailawfo...aying cards.pdf

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And The Sydney Morning Herald :)

 

I guess the average tourist Joe will have to be careful, of this crack down on gambling, whilst indulging ladies of a questionable age, in P4P, with alcohol, at 4 in the morning, within spitting distance of a school, at a gutter-side bar.

 

He shouldn't say things like: 'I bet you go off like a rocket', or 'I'll wager that those are real'. He could find himself in serious trouble if the BiB are eavesdropping at the next plastic child's table, on the hunt for serious offenders in the Kingdom.

 

You do wonder what these police are thinking. the fact that there is a Contract Bridge League of Thailand suggests that the game is not unknown to Thais, I suppose it must be the equivalent of $194 bail.

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Actually there is Section 8 of Playing Cards Act B.E. 2486 (1943) states

 

 

"No person shall possess more than one hundred and twenty playing cards or sell playing cards irrespective of their quantity, unless those playing cards have been produced by, or have been stamped with the seal of, the Excise Department."

 

http://www.thailawfo...aying cards.pdf

 

And technically none of these people were in possession of more than 13 cards in a hand, or 52 if dealing them. So even if there was a big box of them somewhere, only the custodian of the box is liable.

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The custodian was one of the faster runners, I assume - they just caught the 32 slowest probably. Anyone with a decent motorized scooter, tuned-up wheelchair, or even functional zimmer frame was already out the door by the time the cops had counted the full 120 cards, necessary to establish the crime... Mayhem, it was.

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