Bangkok Police Nab 259 People For World Cup Gambling

[samjaidee]

Much as I appreciate TV's email alerts pertaining to important events in the Kingdom, I do feel that this announcement was not quite worthy of a place in my inbox.

Incidentally, 259 is a very precise number. Anyone running a book on the final total?

Of course it's a precise number. They counted the number of people they arrested and that was the number.

If they had said "about 260 people" you would probably have commented about the lack of accuracy wouldn't you?

Can't please all of the people all of the time ....................."

[marquess]

What a waste of police resources but then again why not, people burn down the city, and the police turn a blind eye.

Why is clamping down on illegal activities a waste of resources. If they didn't do anything you'd probably complain as well. What would you like the police to do? Ignore crime or catch the criminals?

Not sure if its quite as black and white as that

You must be aware of the recent destruction to property in Bangkok!?! Nobody has been arrested! Yet the Police have time for clamping down on something as seemingly trivial as gambling. Which carries a fine 1000baht. Thats around 20 Quid.

So to summarize I think the criticism is - Do the Police have their priorities right?

Thank You! I couldn't have put it better myself.

[merlen10002]

thailand, will they ever understand ???

make it legal... earn tax and profit on it ... open some casino's ...

is it worse than forced prostitution / phedofiles / drug dealers / gangs ???

That will take a lot of money away from the casinos they own in Cambodia,, or maybe you dont know most of the casinos in Cambodia are owned by Thais ,, this is the main reason gambling is illegal in Thailand,,,,,

[thaicbr]

What a waste of police resources but then again why not, people burn down the city, and the police turn a blind eye.

Why is clamping down on illegal activities a waste of resources. If they didn't do anything you'd probably complain as well. What would you like the police to do? Ignore crime or catch the criminals?

Not sure if its quite as black and white as that

You must be aware of the recent destruction to property in Bangkok!?! Nobody has been arrested! Yet the Police have time for clamping down on something as seemingly trivial as gambling. Which carries a fine 1000baht. Thats around 20 Quid.

So to summarize I think the criticism is - Do the Police have their priorities right?

To summarize: No, they have their priorities wrong! Their priority is to collect money, not stop crime...

This is about right. considering that a percentage of the siezed money goes back to the arresting officer here in Thailand.

[OldgitTom]

marquess,

“What a waste of police resources but then again why not, people burn down the city, and the police turn a blind eye. “

But the Bangkok rich wheeled on the army to gun them down, which they always do when faced with the protests of the poor.

If gambling were legalized, the gov could tax it & fund better services & support for the poor. The problem? That would deprive a handful of top sharks of their rich pickings from their ilegal gambling rackets – ignored discretely by you-know-who.

Much the same as the drugs racket, which flourishes equally in the West under illegality, rivers of geld flowing to the banks & the lovely, respectable nobs who own them.

C’mon, wake up at the back there. OGT

[sedeflonga]

A country with 60m and they only arrest 259? Even if they only talk about Bangkok, think again.

The big cash goes over internet. They can't control it. Even if they block all websites,

people have ways accessing them.

One PayPal account to rule them all !

Edited June 15, 2010 by sedeflonga

[Colabamumbai]

Oh My God and were most of them Policemen?

[Colabamumbai]

I bet you, I guess I better not in case they arrest me........

[yesdavy]

Next thing you know, there will be undercover caddies and all those that wager on the links will go directly to jail......NOT.

[sedeflonga]

1,000 baht fine eh!.

That's not a deterrent, it's a licence.

Your absolute right

[brent]

What suprises me is that the "fear of/ love of establishment" moderator for thavisa hasn't censored half of the comments posted? Whats going on in Thailand is just one big joke, if you made a movie on it, people wouldn't beleive it was non-fiction, they would laugh and think it was a comedy, but alas....

[sedeflonga]

What suprises me is that the "fear of/ love of establishment" moderator for thavisa hasn't censored half of the comments posted? Whats going on in Thailand is just one big joke, if you made a movie on it, people wouldn't beleive it was non-fiction, they would laugh and think it was a comedy, but alas....

This post would be the first to be censored

[nycjoe]

Wake up Thailand, Vietnam is eating your lunch. Everybody has their hands in the salad bowl, but it is impolite to question their manners.

[TackyToo]

Any cops among them? Or do they only arrest gamblers and skip the organisers?

[fiercesnake]

thailand, will they ever understand ???

make it legal... earn tax and profit on it ... open some casino's ...

is it worse than forced prostitution / phedofiles / drug dealers / gangs ???

Typical hallmarks of a developing nation. You are completely right. It always amazes me how they don't see the hypocrisy in it.

Chasing a few no-hopers having a minor gamble yet completely ignoring other major societal problems because of antiquated socio-cultural norms. Nothing ever seems in balance here.

[GungaDin]

What a waste of police resources but then again why not, people burn down the city, and the police turn a blind eye.

Why is clamping down on illegal activities a waste of resources. If they didn't do anything you'd probably complain as well. What would you like the police to do? Ignore crime or catch the criminals?

Where are you, Tibet?

You obviously know Jack about Organised Crime here.

[backsoon]

What a waste of police resources but then again why not, people burn down the city, and the police turn a blind eye.

Beaut! There are no more pressing dangerous problems in Thai society, except people betting on W Cup! Bravo! How about some unreliables supporting the wrong team? Are they still free?

[Spalpeen]

From the movie "Casablanca" :

Rick : "How can you close me up? On what grounds?"

Captain Renault : "I am shocked - SHOCKED! - to find that gambling is going on in here!"

Croupier hands Renault a pile of money : "Your winnings, sir."

Captain Renault, quietly : "Oh, thank you very much" ...Aloud...."Everybody out at once!"

Edited June 15, 2010 by Spalpeen

[SamritT]

Bangkok Police Nab 259 People For World Cup Gambling. You will be number 260. Yes you. Don't look around. I am talking to you.

[SteveB2]

Is it just me - but whenever I hear the words 'Bangkok Police...yada yada yada' - images of the 'keystone cops', the word 'Oxymoron' and 'corruption' appear front and central in my mind ?

Edited June 15, 2010 by SteveB2

[EarthAlien]

"the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates will top 37.0 billion baht this year."

"Police seized cash of 83,230 baht",... great work Boys In Brown,... only 36.91billion to go!

[Colabamumbai]

Here is my $5 bet.

[Theo007]

I feel so much safer with all these criminals off the streets!

[mrtoad]

More brave work from the BIB - The only reason they have taken in an interest in this, is they don't want others getting in on their own business.

[Thai at Heart]

I understand the cynical responses to this article.

I suggest that just to lighten the mood we find one story per day that shows the police in a genuinely good light. I mean we have been regaled by the Nation telling how general whatsisname is "the man" at handling press conferences for the army.

Surely in all the dross of news, the government can find ONE story of genuine police service and gallantry per day? Maybe we can ask the mods to get permission from the newspapers that we can't quote to use their stories just to try and lift their deserved reputation of the police one inch above the surface level of the local latrine. I would suggest this could be seen as good government propaganda, and we could all try as hard as we could to find the story of the day.

I wonder if there is a single story in all the Thai and farang news that show the police doing their job. Bet we couldn't find a single story.

Can't someone in Bangkok put their cat up a tree or someone make a run for it from a bank with a bag of swag?

[mrtoad]

Is it just me - but whenever I hear the words 'Bangkok Police...yada yada yada' - images of the 'keystone cops', the word 'Oxymoron' and 'corruption' appear front and central in my mind ?

I don't think it is just you that has those thoughts. As soon as I hear it, the words "organised crime" springs to mind.

[mrtoad]

y.

Can't someone in Bangkok put their cat up a tree or someone make a run for it from a bank with a bag of swag?

Having seen the BIB try to undertake some arrests a month or so back, I'd guess they would even fuc_k up rescuing a cat from a tree.

[BusyBee123]

Seems to me the only people who have forgotton their priorities is the nation for reporting on the dullest news stories on earth. Plenty of useless activities the police crackdown on in the uk too, the most recent stopping the annual cheese rolling championships on health and safety grounds, thai police would find it hard to beat that one!

[MAJIC]

What a waste of police resources but then again why not, people burn down the city, and the police turn a blind eye.

Why is clamping down on illegal activities a waste of resources. If they didn't do anything you'd probably complain as well. What would you like the police to do? Ignore crime or catch the criminals?

Since you asked:I would like to see them,arrest the Terrorists first,followed closely by the Anarchists,and then the Criminals,which shouldnt be too hard to find in the first two groups.

[mazeltov]

thailand, will they ever understand ???

make it legal... earn tax and profit on it ... open some casino's ...

is it worse than forced prostitution / phedofiles / drug dealers / gangs ???

years ago:

Legalizing casinos was one of Thaksins big plans.

His government legalized also a former underground lottery, the two- and three-digit lottery, and used the funds to provide scholarships. the pro argument are known, you tackle organised crime if legal you can tax it, you can control it, its good business, a tourist destination. in the black market the mafia make the big money, gamers are criminalised.

Maj Gen Chamlong former Thaksin mentor, was against it. The government promoting social vice, his argument and he joined the PAD. also the democrats were against it.

2006

the Junta came to power, the casino plan was cancelled and also the lottery targeted. Argument: "a social vice, luring a lot of poor to be addicted to gambling, instead of paying attention to work."

2008 the Samak government:

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday told his weekly radio and television audience he would move to legalise gambling.

Responding to a question from his audience, Samak said he would follow the legal model that is practised in Malaysia, Macao, Singapore and Shanghai....

"When gambling is legalised, there will be no longer the need for police to act on gambling dens," he added. (source)

the then opposition leader Abhisit is no froend of gambling and comments:

Mr Abhisit says the government should think about pros and cons of the matter and figure the amount of Thai people who are likely to gamble in the casinos. He also requests the government to study the problem of money laundering in the casinos by criminals in foreign countries.

The opposition leader says further that the government should impose measures to prevent people from gambling more after it approves the idea of legal casinos. (source)

2010

" Prime Minister’s Office Minister Satit Wonghnongtaey has warned Thai football fans not to involve themselves in football gambling in the approaching 2010 FIFA World Cup, to protect themselves from crimes.

Mr Satit stated that all football fans should enjoy watching the World Cup as sports, not for betting purpose. He said wagering on football matches, especially by putting most of ones’ resources could lead to a loss as well as crime in the society." (source)

Future?

the casino industry if full of hopes:

Thailand does not currently have sanctioned casino-style gaming, and the current ruling party and the king are against gaming expansion. But a change in leadership there could change the rules. It is anticipated that general elections will be held by the end of 2010 or 2011, at which time ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra would be eligible to potentially re-take office. “If he were to return to power, that certainly could be beneficial to the prospects of gaming expansion in Thailand,” Govertsen said.

He also said there appears to be strong support for Thaksin’s re-election. “Even if there is a political change, obviously a lot has to happen for that to become a reality,” he explained. Thaksin would like to hold a national referendum on casinos, preferring four locations in the country.

He added, “There appears to be support for a legalized system taking into account that half the population is believed to gamble illegally at present.”(source)