Casinos At The Golden Triangle

[toybits]

I went to visit the Golden Triangle recently and was stunned by the construction activities going on in Laos. I asked some vendors what these structures were and was informed that they were Casino complexes – which they think was being financed by Chinese money. A casino already has been in existence in Myanmar (Burma) and that has been in operation for a number of years now.

The new casino at Laos has been in operation for around 1 year. They even have a few stretch limos to ferry gamblers from the boat terminal to the casino or hotel. Obviously, the Chinese investors have much cash to spare than the one that operates the Myanmar casino.

A few other casinos are operating at Tachilek town near Mae Sai.

I just wonder how all of this and the abundance of money would affect young girls. The Golden Triangle is already a notorious place. So perhaps, the investors think that how could a few more shady businesses tarnish the reputation of this place?

[bifftastic]

there's a chinese trading company just outside sob ruak that will take you by boat, no charge, to the small market on the laos side on the condition that you visit the casino.

When we went we saw the construction close up. They've built a huge hotel, new roads, car parks, everything. It looks like a whole new town. When you actually go inside the casino it's quite disappointing, there's about 6 tables all playing baccarat and a roulette table. I'm assuming that later on there'll be more to it.

I think they're assuming it will be like the one's in cambodia that are popular with bangkok people, although my g/f says they've got a very long way to go to match them, apparently in cambodia you get food, drinks and, depending on how much money you change into chips, accomodation all for free.

I just don't think the new chinese place will attract the custom from the north of thailand in the same way.

It is worrying though, the influx of chinese money can be seen around sob ruak itself, lot's of well off chinese people wandering about. Also in Chiang Saen, in the small cafe we had breakfast in every day there was a regular group of chinese business type people, nice guys actually, smiles all round, a couple of them spoke Thai very well, according to my g/f.

It seems the chinese government has marked the Laos side of the golden triangle as one of their 'special enterprise zones' and is throwing huge amounts of cash into it.

On the face of it, it doesn't look like the Lao people are getting too much of it,the kids hanging round the market looked malnourished and unhealthy, the Lao people in the market didn't look that well off either, the boat driver, the minibus driver, and the other drivers that were working ferrying people about were all chinese, we stopped to pick up the drivers wife and the rest of his family on one leg of the jaunt, and they were all well dressed and looked a lot more affluent. So it seems they've moved quite a few people into Laos and, due to the porous nature of the border, they're splashing some of their cash on the Thai side too.

There were hardly any punters in the casino, not a great return on their investment so far.

I don't really know what to make of it myself, it would be a shame to over-commercialise the place, and it seems somewhat ironic that a communist regime would be doing it!

The one we visited in Myanmar was called the win win club, it was, basically, a great big 4/5 star hotel with a very small casino inside it and a few slot machines, not particularly exciting or full either. Same thing really, a few middle aged ladies playing cards, I found the whole thing a bit odd to be honest.

Edited July 2, 2010 by bifftastic

[gotlost]

It all has to do with China opening up the commercial and economic highways from Vietnam to India and China to Singapore.. Did you notice all the highway construction from Mae Sai to Chiang Saen and from Chiang Saen to Chiang Rai? That's being done with Chinese money not Thailand. OH yea how about the new friend ship bridge to be built in Chiang Khong. Wake up China is on the move.

[bifftastic]

It all has to do with China opening up the commercial and economic highways from Vietnam to India and China to Singapore.. Did you notice all the highway construction from Mae Sai to Chiang Saen and from Chiang Saen to Chiang Rai? That's being done with Chinese money not Thailand. OH yea how about the new friend ship bridge to be built in Chiang Khong. Wake up China is on the move.

yeah those road works are a massive project, I didn't realise it was chinese money behind it, but it makes sense now you point it out, opening up the trade arteries indeed.

In that case the casino/hotel complex may be aimed at the chinese people rather than hoping to emulate the cambodian outfits who're after the thai punters. To me there just doesn't appear to be enough people with enough disposable income in that part of thailand.

[gotlost]

It all has to do with China opening up the commercial and economic highways from Vietnam to India and China to Singapore.. Did you notice all the highway construction from Mae Sai to Chiang Saen and from Chiang Saen to Chiang Rai? That's being done with Chinese money not Thailand. OH yea how about the new friend ship bridge to be built in Chiang Khong. Wake up China is on the move.

yeah those road works are a massive project, I didn't realise it was chinese money behind it, but it makes sense now you point it out, opening up the trade arteries indeed.

In that case the casino/hotel complex may be aimed at the chinese people rather than hoping to emulate the cambodian outfits who're after the thai punters. To me there just doesn't appear to be enough people with enough disposable income in that part of thailand.

Its all about the economic power of China and this IS going to happen.

[halfhead]

It all has to do with China opening up the commercial and economic highways from Vietnam to India and China to Singapore.. Did you notice all the highway construction from Mae Sai to Chiang Saen and from Chiang Saen to Chiang Rai? That's being done with Chinese money not Thailand. OH yea how about the new friend ship bridge to be built in Chiang Khong. Wake up China is on the move.

Are you sure its Chinese money paying for the road from from Chiang Saen to Chiang Rai?

I thought it was too but I asked a local here and he seemed to think It was a Thai only project.

[toybits]

The main market target of the Casinos will probably be Thais. Casinos are illegal in Thailand - which I really find rather amusing because of the revenue it could generate for the government. Apparently, there are some sectors that do not want Casinos legalized because (sorry, I cannot say this on this forum). I do not expect Lao people nor Burmese to be particularly large bettors at the Casinos. So it will probably be Thais that will be the main patrons of the casinos - and maybe a few farangs with spare cash to burn.

I did not notice any road construction signs. Whoever is financing this road construction projects to the Golden triangle has not been acknowledged.

[gotlost]

The main market target of the Casinos will probably be Thais. Casinos are illegal in Thailand - which I really find rather amusing because of the revenue it could generate for the government. Apparently, there are some sectors that do not want Casinos legalized because (sorry, I cannot say this on this forum). I do not expect Lao people nor Burmese to be particularly large bettors at the Casinos. So it will probably be Thais that will be the main patrons of the casinos - and maybe a few farangs with spare cash to burn.

I did not notice any road construction signs. Whoever is financing this road construction projects to the Golden triangle has not been acknowledged.

I can see the signs now " Your Chines tax dollars at work"

[sceadugenga]

The main market target of the Casinos will probably be Thais. Casinos are illegal in Thailand - which I really find rather amusing because of the revenue it could generate for the government. Apparently, there are some sectors that do not want Casinos legalized because (sorry, I cannot say this on this forum). I do not expect Lao people nor Burmese to be particularly large bettors at the Casinos. So it will probably be Thais that will be the main patrons of the casinos - and maybe a few farangs with spare cash to burn.

I did not notice any road construction signs. Whoever is financing this road construction projects to the Golden triangle has not been acknowledged.

I can see the signs now " Your Chines tax dollars at work"

I seem to recall that Lao citizens were not allowed into their casinos when I lived there. It was a while ago though so I could be wrong.

Casinos tend target the better class of gambler anyway, the poor, and no one's too poor to gamble, seem to stick to lotteries and card type games.

I enjoy a casino personally, but I don't consider myself a gambler. I like the atmosphere and watching the money change hands.

I'd like to go over for a look, maybe make sure there are no young women being unfairly taken advantage of.

[bifftastic]

The main market target of the Casinos will probably be Thais. Casinos are illegal in Thailand - which I really find rather amusing because of the revenue it could generate for the government. Apparently, there are some sectors that do not want Casinos legalized because (sorry, I cannot say this on this forum). I do not expect Lao people nor Burmese to be particularly large bettors at the Casinos. So it will probably be Thais that will be the main patrons of the casinos - and maybe a few farangs with spare cash to burn.

I did not notice any road construction signs. Whoever is financing this road construction projects to the Golden triangle has not been acknowledged.

I can see the signs now " Your Chines tax dollars at work"

I seem to recall that Lao citizens were not allowed into their casinos when I lived there. It was a while ago though so I could be wrong.

Casinos tend target the better class of gambler anyway, the poor, and no one's too poor to gamble, seem to stick to lotteries and card type games.

I enjoy a casino personally, but I don't consider myself a gambler. I like the atmosphere and watching the money change hands.

I'd like to go over for a look, maybe make sure there are no young women being unfairly taken advantage of.

Ok so, it's aimed at the Thais, which ones? In the surrounding area I don't think there are sufficient numbers of people with the disposable income to warrant a casino development on such a scale, you see that golden dome thing from the thai side of the river but when you get over there that's like the tip of the iceberg, I've got a vid of us being driven through it i'll try and dig it out, the place is like a small town!

Scea, we went for the atmosphere too, but there wasn't any, just a small room with people playing cards, minimum bets were about 500 baht on the baccarat tables, and there were , maybe, 20 or so people in there. There was one roulette table with no-one playing.

tried to upload the vid but, for some reason it won't work.

Edited July 2, 2010 by bifftastic

[davidgtr]

This Asia Times Report is well worth reading.

And this Bangkok Post Report.

There's also a website for the Chinese city being built there, but I can't find the URL right now.

Edited July 2, 2010 by davidgtr

[gotlost]

This Asia Times Report is well worth reading.

Amassing but true. Excellent insight. How many of you noticed the new highway being constructed. off the 1290, that's the road from Mae Sai to the GT. The new road goes off at an angle about 10 km out of the GT its heading to the second Friendship bridge between Thailand and Myanmar and sure is not being built for visa runners.

[sceadugenga]

Interesting article David, be interested to see how the Vietnamese take the Chinese expansion into Lao, they've considered it their personal turf for a few years now.

On the lighter side, I remember the Lao girls telling me they would not be caught dead with a Chinese man. Bor ap narm (Never take a bath!)

Biff, I think that if you drive around Chiang Rai and down towards the river and check out the nice big houses with new cars out the front, I suppose there's a few casino customers amongst them. They would probably come up from Chiang Mai as well, apparently there's bus loads go to the Cambodian casinos every day from Bangkok.

[davidgtr]

A quote from a KPL news report, that I can no longer find the URL for, but I saved the text...

Chinaman Chao Wei pledges to bring glamour to Lao side of Golden Triangle

(KPL) Chinese owned Dok Ngew Kham Group Co; Ltd wants to bring the world of glamour to Tonpheung district, Bokeo province, which shares borders with Myanmar and Thailand, by making it one of the top international entertainment place in the world.

Three hundred people were at a groundbreaking ceremony in the entertainment centre, located in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone and on this special occasion some of the people tested the casino by placing bets on the various gaming tables in Tonpheung district on 9 September.

Two distinguished persons were at this event, Deputy Prime Minister, Asang Laoly and President of Dok Ngew Kham Group Co. Ltd., Chao Wei.

Mr Ousavanh Thiengthepvongsa, advisor of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone and Tourism-Services Development Project told KPL News last week that this Chinese company would invest US$2 billion to this total entertainment place.

He said that initially this company decided to invest only US$ 86 million to develop the entertainment cum casino place, tourism and service sectors on 827 hectares of land but it morphed to become a much bigger project with a total investment of US$2 billion on 3,000 hectares of land on a 50-year lease.

On completion of this giant project the whole complex would employ 5,000 workers and an estimated 300 domestic and foreign companies would be operating in this zone.

Presently, it has 20 new start-ups. Besides these, the zone has seven hotels and a total entertainment cum casino centre. According to Mr Chao Wei, on its completion in 2020, he would have a trade centre, a five star hotel, an entertainment centre, casino, bank, golf course, school, hospital, airport, harbour and a service centre.

“ I pledge to change Tonpheung district to become one of the most romantic place in the world for people who want to relax, to game and to see its unique natural landscape” said Mr Chao. Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, in Tonpheung district, Laos, is 56 kilometres from the centre of Bokeo province and its unique location is such that just in front of it and on one side is Xiengsen district, Chienglai province of Thailand and on the other is Thakhilek village, Myanmar.

Comment: from 827 hectares to 3,000 hectares. From US$86 million to US$2 billion!!!??A slight miscalculation at the start or....??

[bifftastic]

This Asia Times Report is well worth reading.

And this Bangkok Post Report.

There's also a website for the Chinese city being built there, but I can't find the URL right now.

the asia times article is about a different place, good piece but the bangkok post one is about the place we're talking about.

I can see why the people of Chiang Saen are worried and I hope they do get the zoning sorted out before it's too late, there are more Wats than people in Chiang Saen, most of them are in ruins but the history of the town should be emphasised more. Maybe this is the push they need to do that?

The article says, and I have to agree, the casino complex is aimed at Chinese business, I think it may well have a detrimental effect on the local, younger, Thai population, seeing the bright lights calling them across the river.

[gotlost]

Did you notice who is supplying the cement for this massive project. Look at the silos at the project. Siamcity Cement Thailand.. They transport the product by 18 wheelers from the GT side on a ferry across the river.

[bifftastic]

Interesting article David, be interested to see how the Vietnamese take the Chinese expansion into Lao, they've considered it their personal turf for a few years now.

On the lighter side, I remember the Lao girls telling me they would not be caught dead with a Chinese man. Bor ap narm (Never take a bath!)

Biff, I think that if you drive around Chiang Rai and down towards the river and check out the nice big houses with new cars out the front, I suppose there's a few casino customers amongst them. They would probably come up from Chiang Mai as well, apparently there's bus loads go to the Cambodian casinos every day from Bangkok.

yes, I'm not doubting that there are people with the disposable to frequent such a place, indeed bus loads do go from bangkok to cambodia, hence the multiple cambodia immigration stickers in the g/f's passport! I just don't think there's enough of them for this development to be aimed specifically at them. I think it's more likely to be aimed at a large influx of chinese people. I'me sure the Thai's will be over there too but i think the whole thing, the roads and everything, not just the casino, is about chinese trade and people moving through laos and thailand rather than the other way aroundlaos casino complex.wmv

ok finally got the vid to upload it's only from my phone but you can still see just how huge this place is

[gotlost]

Interesting article David, be interested to see how the Vietnamese take the Chinese expansion into Lao, they've considered it their personal turf for a few years now.

On the lighter side, I remember the Lao girls telling me they would not be caught dead with a Chinese man. Bor ap narm (Never take a bath!)

Biff, I think that if you drive around Chiang Rai and down towards the river and check out the nice big houses with new cars out the front, I suppose there's a few casino customers amongst them. They would probably come up from Chiang Mai as well, apparently there's bus loads go to the Cambodian casinos every day from Bangkok.

yes, I'm not doubting that there are people with the disposable to frequent such a place, indeed bus loads do go from bangkok to cambodia, hence the multiple cambodia immigration stickers in the g/f's passport! I just don't think there's enough of them for this development to be aimed specifically at them. I think it's more likely to be aimed at a large influx of chinese people. I'me sure the Thai's will be over there too but i think the whole thing, the roads and everything, not just the casino, is about chinese trade and people moving through laos and thailand rather than the other way aroundlaos casino complex.wmv

ok finally got the vid to upload it's only from my phone but you can still see just how huge this place is

Interesting vid. Could recognize a lot of the structures just from the Thai side. I agree its not about the Thai tourist its about the Chinese tourist, trade and economics.

[bifftastic]

after the new development, you drive down a dirt road to the market, which small boats from chiang saen will also take you to, on this particular day, there was some kind of festival of flowers, basically a few flower beds, the usual market, lots of laos police and mini vans full of chinese guys all in the same suit being shown around, part officials maybe? Anyway, the chinese are definitley making a big deal out of this place, literally creating something from nothing in the strange mixture of communism and capitalism that they seem to have going on in china at the moment.

[gotlost]

after the new development, you drive down a dirt road to the market, which small boats from chiang saen will also take you to, on this particular day, there was some kind of festival of flowers, basically a few flower beds, the usual market, lots of laos police and mini vans full of chinese guys all in the same suit being shown around, part officials maybe? Anyway, the chinese are definitley making a big deal out of this place, literally creating something from nothing in the strange mixture of communism and capitalism that they seem to have going on in china at the moment.

How did you go over and what was the visa? I'm aware of the Myanmar side.

[bifftastic]

after the new development, you drive down a dirt road to the market, which small boats from chiang saen will also take you to, on this particular day, there was some kind of festival of flowers, basically a few flower beds, the usual market, lots of laos police and mini vans full of chinese guys all in the same suit being shown around, part officials maybe? Anyway, the chinese are definitley making a big deal out of this place, literally creating something from nothing in the strange mixture of communism and capitalism that they seem to have going on in china at the moment.

How did you go over and what was the visa? I'm aware of the Myanmar side.

there's a trading company just to the east of sob ruak, on the right if you're coming from chiang saen about half km before you get into the town, chinese i think but there are thais working for them, they take you over to the market in a boat for free if you go to the casino first, we went to the casino, walked round once, escorted by a chinese woman who spoke excellent thai (so i'm told!) then got back in the car and went for a walk round the market.

no visa, no passport, g/f showed her id card which they photocopied, they asked me for my passport but i didn't have it, 'ok ok mai bpen rai' i told them i had a uk id card and showed them my staff pass from work, which they duly photocopied too

The boat is a small motor boat with about 20 seats not the longtail that you can also get from chiang saen, that one takes you up river to the golden triangle, so you can see all 3 countries, then drops you off in the laos market for an hour, picks you up and takes you back to thailand, again, no visa no passports, 400 baht, the laos border is a jetty with a flag, no officials at all, the border is quite loose there, many of the g/f's family regularly hop over to laos to help extended family members build houses or go to wedding parties etc. just nip over in a boat and come back the next day mao mao!

[wileycoyote]

Interesting posting ,but worrying

[jubby]

I thought that place was a Mosque, only Joking. I'm sure there are lots of well healed Thai's willing to make the Trip north. The Road from Chiang Khong is comming along very slowly. I've used it for a couple of times a week this last year. Bust a shock absorber on the Motorcy last week. The Chinese do indeed seem to be invading Northern Laos, and as Scea mentioned I'm sure the Vietnamese will be keeping an Eye on it.

I'm not convinced were going to get anything more than lots of Heavy Lorries on the road though , at least in the forceable future. There is a regular ferry now, and all you see is petrochemical trucks going over from Thailand.

The road on the Loas side is supposed to be complete. I'm sure we would already have the Chinese Hoardes backing up on the Loas side and catching the ferry, if they were comming. The Thai road is already capable of taking a lot, lot more traffic.

I could be wrong though, It wouldn't be the first time

Oh, and thanks for the interesting posts this morning Guys. I've been offline for a couple of days and its quite refreshing. Keep it up.

Edited July 4, 2010 by jubby

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Hard to find information about this casino.

Where do people book to go there ?

What are the rooms available ?

Any info ?

Thanks.

[my friend I]

Not yet open .2012

[laosuwan]

It is called misallocation of resources. The chinese have spent trillions on roads to nowhere, bridges to nowhere, entire cities empty of people, high speed trains that fly off the tracks, housing speculation, casino speculation, on and on. the chinese are about to go broke in a huge, huge way.

[Soboringtochooseaname]

Yes it's opened ! Since long time !

[Briggsy]

Check out the clocks and you may well find they are set to Beijing not Laos time. The most acceptable currency will be the yuan. The lingua franca will be Chinese.