Pattaya police raid darts club and confiscate dartboards

If you’re planning to retire to Thailand and love a game of darts in your local friendly bar, you’ll need to think again as playing the popular game is now illegal in the Land of Smiles.

Last evening, local police stormed into expat bars in the seaside tourism hub of Pattaya and confiscated all the darts boards, telling bar owners they needed a permit but there's is no permit for darts. It’s the second time expats in Pattaya have been caught up in police raids, with another raid on a group of expat pensioners playing bridge resulting in the players, including one in her eighties, being arrested for gambling and spending many hours in the local police station before they were released.

The charge was possession of 120 playing cards, and the unhappy pensioners spent some time attempting to educate the police that gambling isn’t a part of the game of bridge. After the darts raid, the organisers of the popular local amateur darts league’s fixtures made it known that all upcoming matches were now cancelled, and Pattaya’s largest amateur darts club was closed down, albeit hopefully temporarily.

Organisers of the matches attempted to get clarification from Thai officials, but were told the local entertainment license did not include darts, meaning that playing the popular game is illegal. When asked how a permit could be obtained, officials stated there isn’t one for darts. The organisers are now contacting the Thailand Darts Association for clarification.

Thailand is still a popular destination for retirees from the USA, Europe and Australia, but visa regulations are toughening up and inflation is hitting in, making life difficult for retirees on state pensions. A number are deciding to move across the border to Cambodia, with others choosing Malaysia or Indonesia’s retirement visa options. The Philippines is also seeing arrivals formerly resident in Thailand on a long-stay basis, and a few are returning to their home countries.