Huai Khwang’s 577CLUB raided again as officials probe drugs and nominee links

Deputy Interior Ministers Polapee Suwunchwee and Worasit Liangprasit led a raid on 577CLUB, an entertainment venue in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district, early on Saturday (August 29), following complaints that it had continued operating without a licence despite being raided a year earlier.  

The operation began at 1.30am at the club on Soi Pracha Uthit 11 and involved the Department of Provincial Administration’s special operations unit, known as DOPA S.W.A.T., and police.

Investigators said the venue remained open until the early hours of the morning, while checks of official records found no entertainment-venue licence.

Polapee said the Interior Ministry had received a complaint that the club was still operating after being raided on August 16, 2025. DOPA S.W.A.T. officers were subsequently assigned to conduct an undercover investigation, including an examination of possible violations involving foreign business activity. 

Officials examine suspected nominee links

An initial inspection found that about 70% of the customers were Chinese nationals. The club’s payment system accepted WeChat and Alipay, while Chinese employees were reportedly assigned to assist Chinese customers and resolve problems arising inside the venue.

Officials also found several foreign nationals working without work permits.

Polapee said the circumstances had raised suspicions that Thai nominees might have been used to hold or operate the business on behalf of foreign nationals, despite a Thai person being formally listed as its manager.

He instructed a deputy director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration to examine the relevant laws. Foreign nationals found to fall within the Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Deportation BE 2569 (2026), which took effect on Friday (August 28), could face deportation proceedings, he said.

Claim of police connection to be investigated

Addressing suspicions that an influential figure might have been protecting the venue, Polapee said a man identifying himself as the owner and known as “Chat” had referred to another person called “Joe”.

According to Polapee, Chat claimed that Joe was a police officer, was listed as a shareholder without having invested in the business and could help resolve problems faced by the club.

Polapee asked the chief of Huai Khwang Police Station to establish the person’s identity and determine whether he had any connection with the venue’s continued operation after the previous raid.

He maintained that the club did not have an entertainment-venue licence. Officials were also examining whether the premises complied with building-permit requirements and whether further action could be taken under Order of the Head of the National Council for Peace and Order No. 22/2015. 

Drugs and unauthorised workers found

Officials said narcotics were found in toilets and on tables inside the venue, while some customers tested positive for drug use.

They also found electronic cigarettes, foreign nationals working without permits and suspected breaches of laws governing entertainment venues.

Polapee said the Department of Provincial Administration had the authority to order the venue closed for five years without waiting for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

He noted that after the 2025 raid, the case had been referred to the BMA for consideration of a closure order. However, the club remained in operation a year later, and he called for a thorough investigation into how this had occurred. 

Polapee also urged local government agencies and administrative organisations to remain alert, stressing that the government was committed to suppressing grey-market businesses and operations that exploited Thai people.

Several other venues remained under investigation and had been identified as possible targets for further inspections, he added.

Tougher penalties proposed for repeat offenders

Polapee called for heavier penalties against operators who repeatedly violated the law.

He cited the example of unlicensed hotels that resumed business after enforcement action. Such operators currently faced a fine of 20,000 baht a day, but he proposed raising the amount to 500,000 baht.

He also called for separate legal action covering each suspected offence, including violations involving buildings, business premises, foreign workers and narcotics.

“Thai people need not worry. There will be no special deals,” Polapee said.

“I do not care who you are or whom you know. My duty is to protect the country, Thai people and businesses that operate lawfully.” 

Officials initially brought charges against those involved for allegedly operating an entertainment venue without a licence, selling alcoholic beverages in breach of legal conditions or permitted hours, and employing foreign nationals without authorisation.

Evidence was also being compiled to determine whether measures under NCPO Order No. 22/2015 should be imposed.

Cases involving people who tested positive for narcotics and drugs found inside the venue were being handled separately under the Narcotics Code and related laws. Investigators will seek to identify the sources, suppliers and others involved.