Blue Chili raided on 3sep2021

[christianpfc]

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50929186/50-arrested-including-foreign-nationals-as-authorities-raid-phnom-penhs-famous-blue-chilli-bar/


50 arrested – including foreign nationals – as authorities raid Phnom Penh’s famous ‘Blue Chilli’ bar
One of Phnom Penh’s most iconic LGBT venues was raided last night for breaking Government rules on gatherings of above 15 people.

That was close! That weekend I had vague plans to go to Toolbox, another gay bar in Phnom Penh. The interesting part is that all customers were detained (over night, Covid-test). As far as I remember news about bar raids in Pattaya, the customers were usually released soon.

[PapaBear]

Yes all 60 customers were detained all night and released the next afternoon. The barangs (farangs in Thailand) were fined $500 each and the Khmer customers were fined $250. The owner of the bar was released from jail on Tuesday afternoon and the rumour is that he had to pay a $10,000 fine.

A lot of people are upset with Blue Chili. The owner posted on Facebook that he was open "as usual" and was having his usual drag show on Friday and Saturday night. Customers assumed he had permission from the authorities, even though there is an alcohol ban and a bar/club ban currently in place in PP. Wrong.

Needless to say, Toolbox and Spacehair, which have been open very discreetly have closed their bars until the alcohol ban and bar/club closure edicts have been lifted.

[goji]

It is useful to know these things.

Police raids where the farang are allowed to leave are one matter, but spending a night in jail and being fined $500 makes it worth checking the rules in Cambodia !

[christianpfc]

https://cne.wtf/2021/09/04/foreigners-among-50-detained-as-blue-chili-on-178-raided/

UPDATE: 60 (21 females) were detained. 26 were foreigners, including 14 women.

The thought that customers are held responsible for non-compliance of the law is disturbing. It's the business owner's job to make sure number of customers, social distancing, disinfection and so on are observed. Or to pay bribes in case of non-observance.


...but spending a night in jail and being fined $500 makes it worth checking the rules in Cambodia !
There probably is no such rule and it was made up on the spot. But has such thing ever happened in Pattaya? Anything more than a drug test from urine for customers during raids?

[Nirish guy]

[QUOTE=christianpfc;282290 Or to pay bribes in case of non-observance.[/QUOTE]

Im guessing the "police" were more than happy that no small bribe was paid in advance to secure any opening as by not doing that the owner ( if your above figures are correct) gave them a very nice pay day that netted more that $32,000 in collective fines it seems ! Which Im guessing in Cambodia is a sum that would go a long way to keeping a lot of ( senior) police men very happy - for a while at least !

[cdnmatt]

Im guessing the "police" were more than happy that no small bribe was paid in advance to secure any opening as by not doing that the owner ( if your above figures are correct) gave them a very nice pay day that netted more that $32,000 in collective fines it seems ! Which Im guessing in Cambodia is a sum that would go a long way to keeping a lot of ( senior) police men very happy - for a while at least !

They need to take some notes from Joe Ferrari. Now that's how you do corruption and extortion. :)

[goji]

gave them a very nice pay day that netted more that $32,000 in collective fines it seems ! Which Im guessing in Cambodia is a sum that would go a long way to keeping a lot of ( senior) police men very happy - for a while at least !

Everyone of any standing in Cambodia has to be seen in a Range Rover & the number of the things on the roads is unbelievable for such a poor country. Expensive cars clearly require large scale corruption and extortion.

[Nirish guy]

They need to take some notes from Joe Ferrari. Now that's how you do corruption and extortion. :)

Perhaps not - considering he got CAUGHT ! :)

[cdnmatt]

Perhaps not - considering he got CAUGHT ! :)

True enough, and lesson learned I guess. When you want to murder someone while trying to extort money out of them, make sure the CCTV cameras are off.