BANGKOK: Phuket police raided a cafe on Wednesday (Jan 22) that housed three lion cubs after it was discovered that the establishment was owned by a Chinese national who had hired illegal workers to run it.
During the raid at the Glass House Lion Cafe in Phuket’s Mueang district, Thai police arrested two Chinese staff members – a man and a woman identified as Binbin Chai, 42, and Choen Hong, 38.
Authorities said that the duo had entered Thailand on tourist visas and did not possess work permits.
They were taken to Mueang Police Station to face charges of working in the kingdom without a permit.
The cafe featured three lion cubs, which patrons could interact with and photograph for a fee.
Customers were charged 500 baht (S$20) for spending five minutes with the largest cub and 1,000 baht per five minutes for taking photos with each of the younger cubs.
Police said they are looking for the cafe owner to pursue legal action. - The Nation/ANN
