webfact Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Thai police on high alert to catch World Cup punters BANGKOK (AFP) -- Police across Thailand are setting up special 24-hour centres to crack down on betting ahead of the World Cup 2010 amid fears that many football fans will break laws banning gambling. Despite the threat of fines and imprisonment, Thai punters are expected to spend more than one billion dollars on the matches in South Africa starting this month. "At Bangkok Metropolitan Police we have already started a centre and it will run around the clock until the World Cup ends," said spokesman Major General Piya Uthayo, adding that each provincial force would set up its own centre. "More people are turning to online gambling so we have to be more up-to-date, but some still gamble at local bookies," he said. Police computer experts are being mobilised to handle Internet betting. Under the kingdom's gambling law, which is more than 70 years old, gamblers face fines of 1,000 baht or jail terms of up to one year. Many Thais get around the ban by heading to neighbouring Cambodia and Myanmar where casinos dot the border. The Economic and Business Forecast Centre at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates that Thai people will spend 37.2 billion baht (1.1 billion US dollars) gambling on this year's World Cup. During Euro 2008, more than 1,000 people were arrested in Thailand for gambling on football matches, with nearly one million baht (30,000 dollars) in cash seized. -- ©Copyright AFP 2010-06-03 Published with written approval from AFP. [newsfooter][/newsfooter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangon04 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Surely the headline should read: "Thai Police on high alert to fleece World Cup punters". The current headline is misleading, as it suggests that the police are interested in curtailing the activity, rather than cashing in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendejo Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Good to see they have their priorities straight. Things like this and inspecting tourists' pockets are much more important than stopping idiots from going around with guns and grenade launchers. Good time to be a member of the RTPF, what with these new opportunities and all the $$ they got for looking the other way for over 2 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieudon Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 HAHAHAHAHA!!! Many Thais get around the ban by heading to neighbouring Cambodia and Myanmar where casinos dot the border. Should read... Many Thais get around the ban by paying the police to have gambling schools.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankman Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 just another method to make this country, more unpleasant and childish, so ovious to extort money from tourists. nothing else to do, BIB ? not enough traffic money to make any more, after their NONACTION against the red they need an other income... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animatic Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Forget stopping Red shirts stocking weapons and harassing the populace, but lets clamp down on bettors... wait that have money to take, much better time spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GM1955 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 In an area where I once lived, all the money lending and illegal gambling was run by the Police. Maybe they just want to get rid of the competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonrakers Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 The gambling laws are confusing here at times. Whilst it appears to be an absolute blanket ban on all forms of gambling (except for the lottery and horses), some of the larger books have sites in Thai script, can work in the Baht and even work in transactions from and to Thai banks and cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotheruser Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 This certainly is a problem that should be given top priority. I applaud the finest law enforcement agency known to man. How does the BIB exist in their current state? It is shocking that Thai people put up with them. Everybody should just say no to bribing them. What could they do if everybody told them to F off all at once? How can anybody take the laws of Thailand seriously given such moral bankruptcy on the part of the police? I thought the police were the ones that ran the illegal gambling operations? I guess though if Thai people don't care I shouldn't either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 I am pretty well sure the BIB will be running their own book- wanna bet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpoint Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Now we see the real reason for the police reluctance to stop the protests. All those red shirts with weeks of protest money in their pockets just waiting for the police to take it off them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GM1955 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 What could they do if everybody told them to F off all at once? They could shoot you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sedeflonga Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Thai's will gamble. Nothing can stop them. If you says to a child: DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR! what you think will happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 So we have a country that has large scale civil unrest problems and they announce a massive 24/7 crackdown on petty crime. I would liken this to setting up a massive 24/7 well manned patrol during the blitz to crack down on littering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Dye Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Surely the headline should read: "Thai Police on high alert to fleece World Cup punters".The current headline is misleading, as it suggests that the police are interested in curtailing the activity, rather than cashing in.... Maybe they are trying to find out how abd where to watch it without buying another card and box from True Divisions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lifeincnx Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Round up the usual suspects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibkk Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 seems like betting is as illegal as prostitution in thailand, but guess what ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete66 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Thais - gambling on footy - whatever next? Taxis take punters around BKK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark01 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 I would say that this country is becoming a joke, but I think it's well past being "funny" now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted June 3, 2010 Author Share Posted June 3, 2010 Related article: Bangkok political violence dampens football-crazed fans http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=3663997 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sedeflonga Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 what can the police do anyways? There just to many possibilities to gamble online... ZzzZZzzzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lannaman Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 In an area where I once lived, all the money lending and illegal gambling was run by the Police.Maybe they just want to get rid of the competition. It is run by the police everywhere. Where I used to live in a small town in Phayao my ex-bro-in-law was the son of a local police chief, they had a dozen tables full 24/7 --- 90% police and their families. They charged for the tables by the hour, supplied them with booze and grub too, nice little earner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowboydog Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 yes, let's get back to normal and some more silly crackdowns from the Thai police please Have missed them lately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark01 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Someone should take bets on how many people get arrested! Thai_police plc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 In an area where I once lived, all the money lending and illegal gambling was run by the Police.Maybe they just want to get rid of the competition. Same where i come from some one dies then the family will pay the police (500 baht) so they can gamble for 3 days...Thai police are all bent as a butchers hook if you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crushdepth Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Haven't they got anything better to do than *that* ? Pitiful. Fire the lot and bring back the army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledi Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Thanks, Lord! I feel really safe now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotheruser Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 What could they do if everybody told them to F off all at once? They could shoot you. Yes they could shoot me, if it was just me. What if every bar they went to get some tea money from all told them no for example? If every motorbike driver they sweat for cash just plainly refused. They kill them all? Problem is somebody has to go first and they would be shot. LOL there seems to be no solution. Anyway this is off topic so we should just end it at that. Sorry to hijack the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIWIBATCH Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Pathetic .....pathetic...pathetic Thailand....."all sorts of gambling is banned"...except the Govt lottery and the horses...so....gambling is not therefore banned is it...??? duhhhh....."all types of prostitution is banned" should now read...."except missionary and BJ positions"...BIB "policing" and setting up 24 hour surveillance centres...and on "high alert" for the expected cashflow...oops sorry.. for the illegal betting that is going to take place....c'mon Thailand you are becoming a joke...get the BIB off their lumpy wallet filled backsides and doing something constructive... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ESB7 Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Its no laughing matter, gambling along with drinking, drugs and prostituition are a sure way to ruin and perpertrators should burn in hel_l!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now