Five senior officers transferred after Khao San bar crackdown

BANGKOK — 10 October 2026, The Metropolitan Police Bureau chief has ordered five senior officers from Chana Songkhram Police Station to report to a police operations centre pending an investigation into alleged lapses after Interior Ministry officials raided a Khao San Road nightclub and found drugs and other violations.

Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said on 10 October that the nightclub had been ordered to close following a raid by the Department of Provincial Administration at around 03:00 that day. The venue was located only a few hundred metres from Chana Songkhram Police Station.

The five officers, known collectively as the station’s “five tigers”, a term referring to its senior leadership team, have been transferred to the Operations Centre of Metropolitan Police Division 1 to ensure a fair investigation.

Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam said Chana Songkhram police had inspected the area at around 01:00 but reported finding no irregularities. He has ordered a committee to examine how officers conducted the inspection and why they failed to detect any problems.

If wrongdoing is established, the officers could face criminal and disciplinary action.

Asked whether the station chief may have been misled by subordinates who concealed information, Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam said he would need to investigate before drawing conclusions.

Separately, he addressed a recent raid on an illegal gambling den in Don Mueang, carried out by officers from Don Mueang Police Station and Metropolitan Police Division 2. He said the operation followed tips from local residents and involved several days of planning because the gambling operation was located inside a large, upscale housing estate that was difficult to access.

Asked whether a local politician from Nonthaburi was involved, Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam said police would pursue anyone implicated according to the law and available evidence, regardless of their position.