Elephants join police, psychiatrists to kick football gambling into touch

[webfact]

Elephants join police, psychiatrists to kick football gambling into touch

By THE NATION

 

 

THAI YOUTHS deemed vulnerable to football gambling are under the spotlight as the month-long 2018 Fifa World Cup prepares to kick off in Russia tomorrow.

 

The Mental Health Department yesterday announced a gambling rehabilitation hotline 1323 and a Facebook page – @GamblingCounseling1323 – to offer counselling services from June 14 onwards, while 19 hospitals will open their doors to give further aid. 

 

The moves are in parallel to a police vow yesterday to crack down on football gambling bookies and debt-collecting violence, block 1,000 gambling websites and probe 1,000 celebrity promoters. 

 

 

Even elephants in Ayutthaya clambered aboard the bandwagon yesterday, displaying their football skills as part of an anti-gambling campaign.

 

Mental Health Department director general Dr Boonreung Traireungworarat yesterday led a Pathum Thani training workshop for 60 psychiatric hospital workers on how to aid gambling addicts’ rehabilitation. 

 

Boonreung said Thai children and youths were most vulnerable to football betting amid the World Cup hype being boosted by the Internet era where anyone could gain access to all kinds of websites. 

 

 

A 2015 survey found 53 per cent of kids had accessed gambling websites and become vulnerable to addiction since their brain’s frontal lobe, responsible for reasoning and self-restraint, wasn’t yet fully developed. Youths’ gambling addiction could lead to social issues such as theft, prostitution, or even depression and suicide. Hence the hotline 1323 would provide advice around the clock, the Facebook page would offer free counselling from 2.30pm to 10.30pm during the tournament and 19 hospital clinics would be on hand to aid those attempting to kick their gambling addiction, Boonreung said.

 

Dr Ratchanee Chalongkuakul , director of Bangkok’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Rajanagarindra Institute, said those with signs of addiction [having trouble sleeping, hiding losses from family and friends or suddenly being in need of financial aid from others] could call the hotline to get advice on ways to prevent pathological gambling. 

 

Those wishing to quit should delay placing bets to counter the urge, find constructive distractions such as exercise or hobbies, and make the decision to kick the habit, she said. Their family members could help by being understanding and forgiving so the addicts felt encouraged to change, she said.

 

Elsewhere, nine elephants from the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal yesterday joined local youths in a friendly football match at the Ayutthaya Wittayalai School stadium as part of a campaign against football gambling. 

 

 

Meanwhile, deputy national police chief Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakan yesterday followed Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan's instruction by vowing a serious crackdown on football gambling and debt-collecting violence ahead, during and after the World Cup. 

 

As part of the operation, Chalermkiat said some 1,000 websites linked to football betting could be closed and 1,000 “Net Idol” celebrities allegedly promoting football-gambling be probed. The Net Idols may be charged with encouraging others to gamble, an offence punishable with one year in jail, or a Bt1,000 fine, or both, he added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347599

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-13

[Classic Ray]

My father was involved in illegal street betting in the 1920s, you won’t stop it.

 

I don’t see one mention of the parent’s responsibility to keep their children away from gambling. Possibly why the country is in such a mess.

[tompelli]

At what age is your frontal lobe fully developed...asking for a friend.

[BigBadGeordie]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Mental Health Department yesterday announced a gambling rehabilitation hotline 1323 and a Facebook page – @GamblingCounseling1323 – to offer counselling services from June 14 onwards, while 19 hospitals will open their doors to give further aid

Whats the odds on this working?

[rkidlad]

Is this guy smashing a football into an elephant? 

 

Also, I saw an elephant with my country’s flag on. That’s disrespectful in my culture to put my sacred flag on an animal. I want the flag immediately removed and I want an apology. People must be made aware of ‘my culture’. 

[Juan B Tong]

Good elephant soccer in, bad elephant polo out?

Edited June 13, 2018 by Juan B Tong

[madmitch]

Someone on the sidelines will be running his elephant race book.

 

6/4 Number 9

2/1 Number 11

5/1 Number 4

6/1 Bar

 

Edited June 13, 2018 by madmitch

[RotMahKid]

Stop with this animal circus!

[ZeVonderBearz]

Legalise it. Everyone is at it. I subscribe to BeIn sports and you see Chinese gambling sites advertising in Thai at the Premier League grounds. I think even at the King Power stadium I've seen it, which is weird as the owners should be being good Buddishts. 

[Krataiboy]

I couldn't care less about the idiots who want to waste their money gambling on football.

 

My sympathies are entirely with hundreds of elephants across the country forced to play the wretched game and perform other demeaning stunts for the benefit of gawping tourists.

 

Thailand, which flaunts the elephant as its national animal, should be ashamed for allowing such detestable commercial exploitation of these magnificent creatures.

[amdy2206]

They are unable to stop 'illegal prostitution' with - estimated 300,000 workers - how the hell do they expect to sgop illegal gambling? 

[lazygourmet]

That makes sound to me...

I am coming from a surrealistic kingdom ; and nowadays, I am living in a abstracted one's.