Pubdate: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 Source: Chiangmai Mail (Thailand) Copyright: 2002 Chiangmai Mail Contact: http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Thailand DJ ARRESTED FOR SELLING DRUGS TO TEENAGERS Police raid makeshift entertainment places, recommend they be shut down On the night of August 22, over 100 Chiang Mai policemen patrolled a new hangout for youngsters in Tambon Chang Puek, nearby Wat Pa Paeng temple, and Im-boon Housing Estate, Muang District, Chiang Mai. Over 30 entertainment places, pubs, bars, food and drink shops, and karaoke bars have opened in the area, and over a hundred youngsters gather there nightly to drink and allegedly buy drugs. While the police were searching the shops, Preechapong Yawichai, a 21-year-old DJ at Jiamjiam Pub, tried to flee the scene on his motorcycle, but doughty police managed to catch him, and found 10 ya ba pills and a bottle of K drug inside his motorcycle seat. Police said that they had followed Preechapong for a long time, as it had been reported that he was a ya ba agent for teenagers in the area. He allegedly normally had 2 girls with him who sold the drugs to teenagers. Police also found 22 youngsters who were under 20 years old in the entertainment area, and these youngsters were fined 50 baht each. Police are asking Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantipat to close these pubs, and police are confident that the governor would do so. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin