More Than 5,000 Thais Jailed For Gambling

[george]

More than 5,000 Thais jailed for gambling

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government reported yesterday that more than 5,000 people across the country had been jailed for gambling.

According to the official report, 5,162 gamblers across the country have been imprisoned, ruled by the courts.

Most of them, or 4,600, are men; while the rest are women.

The report followed a crackdown on a largest gambling den in Bangkok's Taopoon area by a well-organized metropolitan police force earlier this week, arresting more than 350 gamblers.

The crackdown, led by officers from the Royal Thai Police's Crime Suppression Division, resulted in an immediate tranfer of seven senior police officers of the Taopoon Police Station for negligence.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told journalists here yesterday the government had planned to organize public hearings on legalizing local gambling dens.

However, the oppostion has opposed the move, saying that it will give a 'bad signal' to the country's social development and affect Thailand's traditional norms.

--TNA 2005-06-25

[LaoPo]

More than 5,000 Thais jailed for gambling 

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government reported yesterday that more than 5,000 people across the country had been jailed for gambling.

According to the official report, 5,162 gamblers across the country have been imprisoned, ruled by the courts.

Most of them, or 4,600, are men; while the rest are women.

The report followed a crackdown on a largest gambling den in Bangkok's Taopoon area by a well-organized metropolitan police force earlier this week, arresting more than 350 gamblers.

The crackdown, led by officers from the Royal Thai Police's Crime Suppression Division, resulted in an immediate tranfer of seven senior police officers of the Taopoon Police Station for negligence.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told journalists here yesterday the government had planned to organize public hearings on legalizing local gambling dens.

However, the oppostion has opposed the move, saying that it will give a 'bad signal' to the country's social development and affect Thailand's traditional norms.

--TNA 2005-06-25

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. WHY are they in jail? because of gambling?

2. Hmm..interesting! WHO's going to benefit?

LaoPo

[Richard Hall]

Sometimes it appears that people need to be protected from themselves.

I know a Thai guy who gambled away a million US$ on horses and now barely makes a living. We would have killed himself but he just didn't because of his young children in the age of 10 and 4.

Cheers,

Richard

[monty]

you can only go a certain way to protect people against themselves...

A lot of drivers are a danger to themselves, and even worse, to other people, yet does this mean we have to ban cars and motorbikes?

A lot of people gamble sensibly (or can afford not to be sensible )....

[sriracha john]

The big business/politico pro-casino movement is drumming up all the angles it can think of to push for legalization. "See? As it is now with gambling being illegal, normal and fine upstanding people are getting criminal records. Far better to legalize gambling with our own casinos."

[maerim]

Most of them, or 4,600, are men; while the rest are women.

Look on the bright side, at least there are no children locked up for gambling.

[penzman]

More than 5,000 Thais jailed for gambling 

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told journalists here yesterday the government had planned to organize public hearings on legalizing local gambling dens.

--TNA 2005-06-25

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really? There goes your promises to eradicate poverty.

While you've got these 5,162 gamblers in custody, why dont you look up their bank accounts and see how much money they don't have?