THE WEEK THAT WAS Thailand won’t be opening a legal casino any time soon - you can bet on that!

[rooster59]

 

One of my favorite memories of travelling with Thais were almost annual trips to Las Vegas. 

 

Our party was always in the States to play in the National Scrabble Championships that were held throughout that vast nation.

 

We’d arrive in LA then be driven by van through the Nevada desert to Vegas, the way lit in later years by the circling beam atop the Luxor Hotel and Casino. Kind of beckoning the unwary.

 

Several in our group wanted to have a little flutter before the word gaming began in New Orleans, Dallas or San Diego.

 

Chief of these was a  gorgeous Thai man who started the Scrabble scene in Thailand and who became my closest personal friend before his untimely death in 2017. 

 

On one occasion we went to check-in at the main desk of the Treasure Island Hotel and were quickly ushered into an ornate side room where there was free champagne and strawberries covered in Belgian chocolate. 

 

Due to the high rollers in our party everything about our stay - even for the non-gamblers among us was fully comped or free. The room, the food, the whole lot. 

 

My friend had me play some hands on his behalf at the “Pai Kow” poker table - thousands of dollars changed hands at the turn of each card. I enjoyed myself but it wasn’t my money.

 

I’d play then go and eat free cheesecake and watch horse racing from around the world while getting drunk for nothing. 

 

Las Vegas for me was like one of the seven wonders of the world especially as I loved betting. But, not unreasonably, I’d always thought casino games were too stacked against the punter. 

 

I preferred horses though I never made any money in the long run. 

 

In Vegas it was amazing to see the panoply of people that traversed the Boulevard, visiting the incredible hotels and attractions. Go to shows like Siegfried and Roy and Cirque du Soleil.

 

That’s if you could get out of the airport - the only one I’d ever been to that had hundreds of slot machines on the concourse!

 

When we’d finished two or three nights in Vegas we moved on to play Scrabble for a measly $25,000 top prize none of us ever won. Far more was dropped by my buddies in Vegas.

 

My very first trip to Asia was a baptism of fire especially in understanding the Asian love of gambling. 

 

I was on a stopover at the Philippines Village Hotel in Manila. I never saw Makati - I spent the entire time in the casino marvelling at people I imagined were Filipinos but were probably Chinese. 

 

In Australia at the races it always seemed to be Asian looking people putting on the big bucks. 

 

I read that when famed jockey Lester Piggott rode in Hong Kong one regular afternoon the betting turnover was more than that year’s Grand National in England, my homeland’s biggest gamble. 

 

Years later I witnessed this for myself at Shatin when the biggest crowd in the history of Hong Kong racing gathered at Chinese New Year. 

 

I was the leader of a school trip - we’d packed the kids off to do a version of The Amazing Race so we could go to the amazing races!

 

Coming to Bangkok in the 1980’s it was clear that the Thais - almost to a man and certainly a woman - loved gambling.

 

But perplexing that there seemed, at least on the surface, so few opportunities to bet. There was horse racing at Nang Lerng and the RBSC tracks and the national lottery, but little else. 

 

Or so I thought. My first girlfriend was arrested at a house and had to pay 1,500 baht in fines for playing cards. This was a large sum at the time.

 

Thereafter there was a big scandal in the Japanese community in which I taught English after a group of Sukhumvit housewives were arrested playing Mahjong. 

 

The penny was gradually dropping about gambling in Thailand. It was rife and everywhere and the Thais were wild about wagering!

 

These days illegal casinos - so I am told - exist everywhere. In addition Thais these days are obsessed with online gambling particularly on casino games and foreign football. 

 

Betting is a part of weddings and even funerals. I suppose you have got to enjoy yourselves at such occasions…..

 

Yet a strange relationship exists around the subject - not unlike many people’s interaction with the Buddhist religion or prostitution.

 

Many know it goes on, even take part themselves, but love to blame it in public for society’s ills. 

 

It’s the ultimate in two-facedness and used by those who profit from the trade as cover. 

 

The week on ASEAN NOW started with an announcement that MPs were going to debate opening a legal casino in Thailand. Then one MP proposed that an “entertainment complex”, complete with a luxury hotel, shopping, race track and theme park could be opened in Hua Hin to promote tourism. 

 

The subject of a legal casino is one of the hottest of hot potatoes in Thailand and has been raised every year since Somchai and Bunkerd bet on which fly would depart the Som Tam first.

 

The result of the debates is always the same and probably always will be. The proposals flounder and are then forgotten until the next time when the cycle goes on. 

 

Politicians and police always hide behind the societal ills that could result (as if they don’t exist already!). In fact one Maj-Gen burbled on about penury, prison misery before it was even raised in the House.

 

The reason for this is that casinos are everywhere. They exist with the connivance of the local police who profit by them either directly as owners or in “look the other way” bribes. Politicians are more likely to be the owners of what Thais call “bons”. 

 

And this is why nothing will change. The very people who might change the law are those who could lose out. The very people who supposedly enforce the law would also be out of pocket. 

 

Thailand won’t be opening a legal casino any time soon unless someone comes to power who is willing to take on the mafia in brown or the mafia that sits in judgment.

 

You can bet on that!

 

The House debate took place on Thursday and Daily News reported that there was consensus that it was a good idea. ASEAN NOW said the idea was gaining traction.

 

That will look like the case until the friction kicks in along with inertia. 

 

So what was accomplished on Thursday? They set up an “extraordinary committee” to look into the matter. 

 

The only extraordinary thing is that they bothered rather than simply quitting the house early and going to one of the dozens of illegal casinos in the Thai capital that already exist.

 

In lurgy news it was another busy week. The CCSA managed to blame foreigners for not wearing masks then in the same breath balanced this with castigating hotels for fleecing the tourists with sharp practices. 

 

It was almost comforting that Thailand was getting back to normal.

 

ASEAN NOW started a series of “Covid Tales” after a request was made for your stories about trying to get into Thailand and getting vaxxed.

 

One that caught my eye was a 78 year old man in the north who implored people to get vaccinated with any vaccine rather than wait for Moderna.

 

Many on the forum have revealed themselves as little more than vaccine snobs in rejecting free offers for Sinovac and AstraZeneca so they can pay 3,100 baht for Moderna. As the poster pointed out in reference to a story about a friend, it was better to get any protection as quickly as you could, especially if old or infirm.

 

The same point was made by health minister Anutin who seemed almost sensible until he started ranting again about illegal nightclubs spreading the virus and having been responsible for the misery of the last 6 months. Inevitably he praised his lord and master Uncle Too and looked a bit silly, not least for the fact that several government ministers were in the Thong Lo member clubs and elsewhere back in April and the absurd decision to hold a free-for-all Songkran proved disastrous. 

 

Now that nearly 100 million doses of vaccine have been administered - and more donations continue to arrive - the health minister and his cronies think we will forget and forgive his mistakes. We won’t.

 

Pathumwan plod raided restaurants serving alcohol in Central World. Thirty of them managed to find a glass of beer on the table. 

 

A couple of managers took the fall for the “War Against Booze”. Drinkers have been the main targets in more face-saving, scapegoat hunting distractions perpetrated by the authorities to mask their inadequacies. 

 

Earlier the minister said he was determined to find the “missing 10 million” who were either hesitant to get vaxxed or who had been unable to. 

 

Better news followed later in the week when it emerged that the onerous RT-PCR test for foreign arrivals would be replaced soon by a simple ATK swab. How this will be done - and how the authorities will profit by it - has yet to be decided. 

 

The Association of Thai Travel Agents even called for the 500 baht tourism fee not to be levied just yet. They understand as every poster worth his salt on the forum did months ago that levying such a fee right now was a very bad look.

 

Then annoying transport minister Saksayam was jumping up and down saying that the reopening of Thailand was a great success as 100,000 had come in just 25 days. Anutin completed the madness by burbling that December 1st would see more easing, if only we are all good, little compliant children.

 

In print media the RTP admitted (and then denied) that they think Red Bull Boss is living in Austria. It makes no odds, they are completely unable to do anything about him especially with the Yoovidhya family giving them the finger. 

 

More government cock-ups were revealed when AirAsia suspended flights from Hua Hin to Chiang Mai and back. The timing of runway improvements were at the heart of this debacle.

 

In “Poll News” we were told - yet again - what we all knew. That about half of all Thai kids are brought up by their grandparents. I know it’s an economic necessity for millions but I really wish that parents who can’t look after their kids just don't have any. It’s unfair on the elderly and unfair on the children. 

 

The story produced the standard attacks on Thai parenting in general and boys and Thai men in particular. Some on the forum have clearly only met women in bars and base their opinions of Thai males on their pimps. Rooster had such prejudices for a while until I started meeting more Thai men. I suggest some forum posters would benefit by doing likewise.

 

As always, the mood was lightened by several stories that reminded us why we love Thailand and have made it our home. 

 

These included an ad from a mattress company for a committed sleeper who could earn 35K a month if “lethargy was their strong point” and they had a “passion for sleeping”. Candidates could be found on any bus in the heat of the day.

 

Even more dosh - 90,000 baht - was offered for a buffet dishwasher though the cheeky ad was really one for a contractor to hire seven or eight people. 

 

On Thursday a Khanom Tokyo seller in Chiang Mai who - shock horror - sold her wares without wearing a bra, was visited by the cops and the culture vultures. 

 

The former showed her how to cook the books while the latter advised more decorum when it comes to cleavage. 

 

In Prachinburi a Portuguese man trying to reconcile with his Thai girlfriend jumped on the hood of a ladyboy’s pick-up and was driven halfway down the road.

 

Finally, best picture of the week was a group of senior police “graaping” and  returning 63 million baht in cash to an abbot who’d been embezzled. 

 

As Thailand journo legend Bernard Trink was wont to remark:

 

Any comment would be superfluous. 

 

Rooster

 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-11-28

 

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[Thailand]

Ah, Bernard Trink, a must read when I was here in the eighties.

[jimbob123]

I don't really give a hoot.

[wombat]

23 minutes ago, jimbob123 said:

I don't really give a hoot.

Ditto...gamble, not gamble...up to you.

[vandeventer]

They will if they can see $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

[abrahamzvi]

10 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

They will if they can see $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

Every country weighs the pro and contra of any action like opening casinos. I am of the view that for Thailand it would be a huge mistake to open legal casinos. Knowing a lot of people here, such a step would only add to the national private debts, which would end up in an economic disaster.

[peterrabbit]

I believe the authorities are working on virtual casinos were by punters can loose/spend all their money in Thailand without actually coming here. ????

[kingstonkid]

A Casino would be a good thing but there would have to be rules.

 

Will it cause people to be more poor.  Not really As was stated in  the article they are already gambling.

 

The other option is to look at some of the major international players like Wynn or Ceasars or MGM contract or allow them to build the building and run the casino.  You can also restrict who is allowed to partake of the casino.    In the 90's I went to Teneriffe and to get into the casino I had to show my passport.

 

If you set up the casino in the same manner that it was for tourists only then you will get the tourists with cash to spend.  You will also be able to bring in entertainment that can attract local people or people that want to see the shows or acts.

 

The government would rake in a large amount of money that could then go to the military.  There would also be a large increase in the desire to learn English and Chinese so that Thais could get jobs working in the casino.

 

A perfect spot would be Pattaya after they tear down the Eyesore building.

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, jimbob123 said:

I don't really give a hoot.

Almost -“But I don’t give a hoot!”

[Robert Tyrrell]

Hello ,

Give the revenue to Laos  !! They have them.

Thailands a great place to live I just think there government knows nothing about common sense and it’s government is obviously self centered only lining there hand with fat brown envelopes and it’s hurting the average Thai people continuously !! 

[DefaultName]

Casinos!   Look at what they've done to Sihanoukville.  Does Thailand want that?

[Noah K]

Whenever I hear some expat say "that's the craziest thing I ever heard/saw" I always reply back with the same answer, "welcome to Thailand!"

[kiwikeith]

28 minutes ago, Noah K said:

Whenever I hear some expat say "that's the craziest thing I ever heard/saw" I always reply back with the same answer, "welcome to Thailand!"

I was talking to a guy a few years ago who became one of my best friends, he lived in Thailand 45 yrs.

In Pratunam.

 He said to me one day look over the soi at the building, I said why he said, dont you see, what I said? the peep holes? they have been gambling here for years, they used to look at you through the peepholes before letting you in, then  I looked around more , a very old soi in Pratunam, peep holes everywhere , he said nothing changed except the red light district moved around the corner to Sukhumvit rd. after R and R.

he said Chinese gambling houses were still going everywhere around Pratunam, in the back sois , if you ever walk around these back streets be on the look out for peep holes as you are being watched.

[kiwikeith]

1 minute ago, kiwikeith said:

I was talking to a guy a few years ago who became one of my best friends, he lived in Thailand 45 yrs.

In Pratunam.

 He said to me one day look over the soi at the building, I said why he said, dont you see, what I said? the peep holes? they have been gambling here for years, they used to look at you through the peepholes before letting you in, then  I looked around more , a very old soi in Pratunam, peep holes everywhere , he said nothing changed except the red light district moved around the corner to Sukhumvit rd. after R and R.

he said Chinese gambling houses were still going everywhere around Pratunam, in the back sois , if you ever walk around these back streets be on the look out for peep holes as you are being watched.

Good night all, be on the lookout for a new virus that might, as I put on my thinkyoulater, not hurt you as much as delta even though you might get infected easier, the Jury is out, we are waiting for the experts to report ,but I hope the old thinkyoulater handed down for many generations may be right, but it's  speculation at this stage lets just hope that the old thinkyoulater is right, hope so for all of us on this deturbed planet.

[NONG CHOK]

5 hours ago, vandeventer said:

They will if they can see $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

That's it my friend they CAN see big dollars but if it's legalised they will be missing out on their total control of the action. I'm not a big punter but thanks to my VPN  I bet off shore, I take a lottery ticket at times and I have a moderate bet on my greyhounds when they race. The mind boggles, just keep on ripping off farangs, when Thais are huge tax free gamblers. TIT.

[herfiehandbag]

I suspect that any "legal casino" will be like the Cambodian Sihanoukville affairs - strictly for foreigners. That is why places like Hua Hin and Pattaya are being talked about - easily sealed to create special zones, adjacent to airports to fly in the punters.

 

The existing arrangements, patronised by the Thais will continue, controlled by the same agencies.

[Cake Monster]

5 hours ago, vandeventer said:

They will if they can see $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

There are already plenty of $$$$$$$$ from the Illegal Casinos.

The fat cats wont allow their Money Makers to be legalised any time soon.

[kingstonkid]

5 hours ago, DefaultName said:

Casinos!   Look at what they've done to Sihanoukville.  Does Thailand want that?

That is why I suggest giving the contract to Wynn Caesars or MGM.  Let one of the Vegas companies open and run it.  You can have your convention center and all that pretty stuff in Pattaya.  Hell even the Hard Rock could house the casino.  Restrict it to international tourists only ie people with a non-Thai passport.

 

The big players know how to get the whales in and know how to operate for a profit.  They also know all the rules. and last time I checked were all getting kicked out of or losing their shirts in the other locattions in Asia.

[Rocking Robert]

7 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

A Casino would be a good thing but there would have to be rules.

 

Will it cause people to be more poor.  Not really As was stated in  the article they are already gambling.

 

The other option is to look at some of the major international players like Wynn or Ceasars or MGM contract or allow them to build the building and run the casino.  You can also restrict who is allowed to partake of the casino.    In the 90's I went to Teneriffe and to get into the casino I had to show my passport.

 

If you set up the casino in the same manner that it was for tourists only then you will get the tourists with cash to spend.  You will also be able to bring in entertainment that can attract local people or people that want to see the shows or acts.

 

The government would rake in a large amount of money that could then go to the military.  There would also be a large increase in the desire to learn English and Chinese so that Thais could get jobs working in the casino.

 

A perfect spot would be Pattaya after they tear down the Eyesore building.

WYN,Caesar’s,MGM. Would not build a casino if it restricts certain people from using it such as the locals it’s called discrimination and they will get too much heat from that

[MrJ2U]

Casinos are cash cows if done correctly.

 

Correctly and Thailand just don't fit together.

 

Better left to their Chinese Chums on Macau.

 

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/sinovac-not-effective-against-delta-variant-astrazeneca-is

 

[kingstonkid]

16 minutes ago, Rocking Robert said:

WYN,Caesar’s,MGM. Would not build a casino if it restricts certain people from using it such as the locals it’s called discrimination and they will get too much heat from that

You may be right but it would still be the best bet for making sure things are done right.  If they have to leave it open to Thais then so be it.  I thought that there were restrictions in Macau but I may be wrong

[2009]

7 hours ago, DefaultName said:

Casinos!   Look at what they've done to Sihanoukville.  Does Thailand want that?

I don't think they give two <deleted> about anything.

 

Let's see if they pull down Hua Lampong, then I'll tell you if they have any soul left.

 

It was one thing to destroy Washington Square -- that was just a farang playground, but their own train station??! One that played such an important role to Thailand's development.

 

It's like selling your granny to bordello.

[bangon04]

7 hours ago, DefaultName said:

Casinos!   Look at what they've done to Sihanoukville.  Does Thailand want that?

If the Chinese decide that Thailand is another convenient place to have their offshore casinos, then it will happen.

[TechnikaIII]

Marrying a Thai is the biggest gamble ever. Casinos not needed.

[Stargeezr]

Rooster thanks for another update of honest news, you are a brave man for bringing it

to us. Thanks for the chuckles as well.  I hope that lots of tourists make the trip to Thailand

before the latest COVID variant Omicron arrives and spreads around. It seems that this pandemic

is not over yet. Sorry to say.  Good luck all, and hope that the vaccines protect you.

  I totally agree that there will not be any legal Casinos opening for at least another 20 to 50

years, or when the present rich people are all dead and gone.  They like it the way it is and they can afford to

travel to nearby countries to do their own legal gambling in the high end casinos.

[The Hammer2021]

Prohibition  makes big money for people.  One reason the war on drugs is so popular

[The Hammer2021]

7 hours ago, Rocking Robert said:

WYN,Caesar’s,MGM. Would not build a casino if it restricts certain people from using it such as the locals it’s called discrimination and they will get too much heat from that

When I first went to Portugal the Casinos  did not allow Portuguese in.

[DefaultName]

21 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

That is why I suggest giving the contract to Wynn Caesars or MGM.  Let one of the Vegas companies open and run it.  You can have your convention center and all that pretty stuff in Pattaya.  Hell even the Hard Rock could house the casino.  Restrict it to international tourists only ie people with a non-Thai passport.

 

The big players know how to get the whales in and know how to operate for a profit.  They also know all the rules. and last time I checked were all getting kicked out of or losing their shirts in the other locattions in Asia.

No, Thailand would re-invent the wheel before they'd use outside experts.  Besides, the idea would be for the money to stay in Thailand, not go to the US or China.