Luxury Pattaya Steakhouse Raided over Unlicensed Trade and Illegal Staff
Six Myanmar nationals registered as labourers were found working as skilled chefs and bar staff in an unlicensed venue with severe hygiene issues
- An upmarket Argentinian steakhouse in Pattaya was raided for operating without the required food service and storage licenses.
- Six Myanmar nationals were arrested for working illegally as chefs and bar staff, as their work permits were only for general manual labour.
- The restaurant's Slovakian manager was also arrested during the joint-agency operation.
- In addition to the illegalities, inspectors found severe hygiene violations, including toxic chemicals stored next to food preparation stations.
Six Myanmar nationals registered as labourers were found working as skilled chefs and bar staff in an unlicensed venue with severe hygiene issues.
Law enforcement officers in Chonburi have raided an unlicensed, upmarket Argentinian steakhouse in North Pattaya, arresting a Slovakian manager and six Myanmar migrant workers caught working outside their permitted roles.
The joint operation, carried out on 4 September near the Dolphin Roundabout, targeted El Gaucho Argentinian Steakhouse following multiple tip-offs alleging unlawful foreign employment and illegal trading.
Acting on orders from Chonburi Governor Naris Niramaiwong, a multi-agency task force—including Bang Lamung district administration, the Provincial Employment Office, Immigration, and public health inspectors—swept through the community mall premises.
Inside the premium venue, officers caught six Myanmar nationals on duty: four working as kitchen chefs and two behind the bar. Inspection of their documentation revealed they held work permits strictly registered for general manual labour.
Deploying foreign workers in specialised positions such as chefs and bartenders breaches the statutory terms of their permits and violates regulations protecting jobs reserved for Thai nationals.
Authorities also discovered that the venue was operating without valid municipal licences for food service and food storage.
Although the 40-year-old Slovakian manager, identified only as Tomas, claimed the business was awaiting permit approval, official databases confirmed no licence had been granted.
Under Thai law, operating an unlicensed food establishment carries a penalty of up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to 50,000 baht, or both.
Public health officials also uncovered serious sanitation failures in the kitchen area, citing substandard food containers, overflowing rubbish bins, and toxic cleaning chemicals stored directly beside food preparation stations. Food samples were seized for laboratory contamination screening.
Police detained Tomas alongside the six Myanmar workers and transferred them to Pattaya City Police Station to face formal legal proceedings.
