Thailand To Crackdown On Illegal Casinos

[webfact]

Thailand pledges to close illegal casinos

BANGKOK, August 29, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand vowed Monday to crack down on illegal casinos, after a maverick politician accused senior police officers of owning gambling dens in central Bangkok.

Chuvit Kamolvisit, a lawmaker who made his fortune with a string of massage parlours and hotels, last week showed a video clip in parliament purportedly recorded at a casino on Rama IX road in the heart of the capital.

The outspoken lawmaker, who has admitted to bribing authorities in the past, criticised the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for failing to tackle the problem.

Announcing the clampdown, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung said Monday that he had spent more than a year gathering information on casinos while his party was in opposition until its election win last month.

"Not only the casino on Rama IX road, but also other casinos in other areas will no longer exist," he told reporters.

He said two senior officers had been assigned to oversee the crackdown but if the metropolitan police would not close the casinos then he would ask other agencies, such as the border patrol police, to do the job.

Chuvit's party won four seats in parliament last month with a pledge to fight corruption.

"I am the insider, I know how to pay. I know how to bribe," he told AFP in an interview in June. "You see bribery in Thailand is a deeper issue, problem than anyone can think.... but no one wants to say the truth."

Most forms of gambling are outlawed in the kingdom but it remains popular in a country where corruption is rife.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-08-29

[hammered]

Quite a laugh that Chalerm gets to oversee this. And with a loose canaon like Chuvit who knows where and how to find things they are going to have to do something. The police wont be happy. On the other hand you can have the mantra: "who won the casino war?" to join the "who won the drug war" although stopping gambling probably appeals more to extremist yellow shirts than any on the other side.

then again if it may give the PTP a chance to change the police chief

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Khun Chuwit: "You see bribery in Thailand is a deeper issue, problem than anyone can think.... but no one wants to say the truth."

Actually, I think most of us here understand local bribery and corruption to be just about as deep as it really is... particularly in the government sectors.

Maybe Chuwit was talking to a different audience.

[jonclark]

So anyone fancy a small wager about how long this crackdown will last for. 10/1 its forgotten about within the next two weeks

[DP25]

Announcing the clampdown, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung said Monday that he had spent more than a year gathering information on casinos while his party was in opposition until its election win last month.

How thoughtful to not release that information just before the election and embarrass the Democrats

[thaikahuna]

So anyone fancy a small wager about how long this crackdown will last for. 10/1 its forgotten about within the next two weeks

I'll take that action for 100 baht. ;-) I think the bigger problem will be smoothing the ruffled feathers of the cops who will have their pocket money radically reduced because of it.

[Tokay]

Can't have any illegal casinos around when there are so many illegal brothels to worry about. Wait, I think I got that backwards. I'm so confused.

[WhizBang]

 Announcing the clampdown, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung said Monday that he had spent more than a year gathering information on casinos while his party was in opposition until its election win last month.

Really?

Go ahead... pull the other one.

[TechnikaIII]

I'd be in favour of shutting them all down, forcing gambling underground where it belongs, if anywhere at all. But of course, like the sex industry, it is here to stay in Asia, big time.

I had a business in Clarendon Street South Melbourne, and saw quality retailers failing one by one, when the Casino opened down the road at the Yarra Bank centre. Most noticeably was one of Melbourne's best book shops, Emerald Hill Books, whose Sunday browsing trade disappeared. With my gallery and others in the business, we also noticed a marked drop in passing traffic. My bookshop owner friend also came under further pressure from the shit-for-brain Lebanese crook who turned the chemist shop next door to us into a late-night restaurant-bar, with too few dining customers to keep it open legitimately, but banged away with hideously loud music and back room 'business'. He sent a thug in to beat her up, my bookshop neighbour, because she lodged complaints with the council. I was first on the scene to chase the bastard out. The local police were in the crook's pocket so nothing could be done. So you don't need to be in Thailand to suffer from that stuff. I was not yet directly a target of that mug, but his 'activities' thrived in the shadow of the casino, and I felt my days were numbered. However, as I was a witness, and the police told me in no uncertain terms to mind my own business. I eventually closed and moved on. Thanks to the Right Wing premier Jeff Kennet who pushed for the casino, and like so many Right Wingers before him, he also attacked Universities, slashing funding for education and the arts.

Say what you like, but to me casinos, underground or 'legal' are cesspools.

Edited August 29, 2011 by TechnikaIII

[fxe1200]

Thailand pledges to close illegal casinos

What a joke!

Looks like the Dunning-Kruger syndrome is rampant in Thailand.

[meom]

^

You're right I guess.

Plenty of gamblers around that overestimate their gambling skills.

[lannarebirth]

Say what you like, but to me casinos, underground or 'legal' are cesspools.

Of course they are. Everywhere I've seen casinoes in "normal" cities, the neighbourhoods have been seriously degraded around them. Ever been to Atlantic City? It's a cesspool. Though it isn't my thing, I'm not totally against gambling. I think it works best when there a few discrete locations where people can travel to to engage their urge to lose money. Las Vegas, Macau, Monaco being good examples.

[Bagwan]

Quote :- He said two senior officers had been assigned to oversee the crackdown but if the metropolitan police would not close the casinos then he would ask other agencies, such as the border patrol police, to do the job. Unquote.

So the metropolitan police are out of control? Is anybody in charge of anything around here?

[MrMo]

Isn't the use of the word "illegal" in both the head-line to and the body of the article redundant in Thailand ? ! ? ! ? !

[Misterwhisper]

Wonderful news considering that half of the illegal casino in this country are run one way or another by the very force entrusted with weeding them out, the BIB.

"There are no illegal casinos in Bangkok," a certain police general just recently blared out to the press.

It took 3 long days for the BIB to "investigate" the casino pointed out by the incomparable mafia rogue-turned-knight-in-shining-armor Chuwit (love the man, we need more of his ilk) the "casino that didn't exist", just to find out that all the equipment had been moved since, no doubt to another location where activities have since resumed.

Jeez, Chuwit even showed a video of people carrying out playing tables!

The result? Three high-ranking police officers transferred elsewhere. It's about high time that police officers neglecting their duties face a little more than being merely transferred.

It's also high time that police officers who allegedly run casinos face more than a transfer to an "inactive" post. Hey, that will leave them with even more time to attend to their mainstay businesses while still collecting their monthly salaries.

[webfact]

Govt Orders Swift Crackdown on Gambling, Drugs

A deputy prime minister has instructed two deputy police chiefs to swiftly crack down on gambling dens and narcotics.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung has given three days for the metropolitan police to eradicate all gambling dens in Bangkok.

Chalerm said he has more information on the city's illegal activities than what Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolwisit has unveiled.

He added that if the police unit assigned to the operation cannot complete it in three days, the suppression effort will be handed over to the likes of the Public Sector Anti-corruption Commission Office, the Provincial Police Bureau 1 or the border police.

According to intelligence reports, small casinos illicitly pay government officials a rate of 80,000 baht per hour for eight hours per day and large casinos pay 150,000 baht per hour.

Chalerm went on to say he has assigned deputy national police chief Police General Priewphan Damapong to spearhead the narcotics suppression operation while another deputy police chief Police General Phanupong Singhra Na Ayutthaya will head the crime suppression unit.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-29

[Pib]

I love these very periodic announcements from the govt (regardless of which party is in power) on how they are cracking down on illegal activity XYZ. Then a few weeks later you don't hear anything more about it. Does that silence starting a few weeks later mean the crackdown was successful? (giggle, giggle)

[bristolgeoff]

how many thais cross the border to gamble everyday.many many i know that.all this will do is that more will travel to gamble and thai baht going outside to casino,s over the border

[shadiadi]

Not only in Bangkok they are everywhere mostly owned by the police. There is one 200m from my house, pointless complaining about it though it's owned by a policeman

[webfact]

Chalerm: 42 dens in city will be closed

By The Nation

Critics say the move is aimed at ousting police chief in favour of Priewpan

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday vowed to suppress 42 illegal gambling dens in Bangkok - a move many see as a ploy to discredit incumbent national police chief Pol General Wichean Potephosree and replace him with his deputy, Pol General Priewpan Damapong, brother of Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, ex-wife of fugitive prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The deputy Pheu Thai leader later met with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Government House to seek her mandate to support his action and earlier statement to "overhaul" the Royal Thai Police, but was reportedly told to "slow down" on reshuffles of key government officials in the meantime.

An unnamed adviser to Pheu Thai quoted Yingluck as saying: "Otherwise, the reshuffles would send a shock wave through the government, which is already facing a lot of problems. Let's wait a while for the government to keep on working at least for a period of time."

Chalerm floated his policy to crack down on Bangkok gambling dens after the airing in Parliament last week of video clips apparently showing a den in operation. Earlier, he said Priewpan had been denied the top police job because of his links to Thaksin, despite being a good candidate with the right level of seniority.

Responding to reports that Wichean might be transferred to the permanent secretary's post at the Tourism and Sports Ministry to make way for Priewpan, Chalerm said that decision was ultimately Wichean's to make, and that if he did it would require Yingluck's approval.

Yingluck is expected to make her stance on Wichean's position known when she chairs her first meeting of the Police Commission today. Chalerm is expected to elaborate on his get-tough policy on illegal gambling at the meeting. Earlier yesterday, Wichean met with Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda in a traditional courtesy visit to wish him a happy birthday at his Si Sao Tewes residence. Wichean dismissed reports that Thaksin and Pojaman had personally tried to convince him to resign from the top post at the Royal Thai Police.

Before his appointment as national police chief by the Abhisit Vejjajiva government, Wichean had spent the bulk of his career serving with police units under the Office of Royal Court Security Police.

Wichean said Prem praised his service as national police chief and said his performance had been well received by the general public. Prem urged Wichean and all police officers to perform their duties to their utmost and uphold loyalty to the monarchy.

Chalerm said he would take action against four unidentified police generals whose names were allegedly cited by den owners to pre-empt raids by local police. "I won't play soft with them if there is evidence against them. I cannot tell you who they are now, but if the evidence against them is solid, they will be part of a major reshuffle."

Under his get-tough policy, Chalerm said, all illegal dens in Bangkok would be closed and all illegal game machines or kiosks would be cleared out by yesterday evening. All night entertainment venues must be shut by the legal closing time of 2 am, he said.

He also outlined a six-point anti-narcotics policy that stresses border policing and the curbing of trade and transportation of reactant chemicals, while adopting flexibility and compromise as tactics in drug suppression.

"What was initiated by former prime minister Thaksin was good and effective, and there is nothing wrong with utilising extra-judicial measures in narcotics suppression," said Chalerm, who was a police captain before entering politics.

Chalerm said the information on which he based his identification of the 42 gambling dens came from reports by the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission. He said he had been aware of the information for years, but that his remarks and crackdown policy would have carried little weight if floated during Pheu Thai's time in opposition. "Now I am fully equipped as the deputy prime minister tasked with anti-vice duties," he added

-- The Nation 2011-08-30

[OzMick]

Quite a laugh that Chalerm gets to oversee this. And with a loose canaon like Chuvit who knows where and how to find things they are going to have to do something. The police wont be happy. On the other hand you can have the mantra: "who won the casino war?" to join the "who won the drug war" although stopping gambling probably appeals more to extremist yellow shirts than any on the other side.

then again if it may give the PTP a chance to change the police chief

"........... stopping gambling probably appeals more to extremist yellow shirts than any on the other side."

After that unsupported and biased statement, you won't complain when I say that they may upset their own gambling-den-running and drug-dealing supporters.

[OzMick]

how many thais cross the border to gamble everyday.many many i know that.all this will do is that more will travel to gamble and thai baht going outside to casino,s over the border

Yes, but coming back as profits for the Thai owners,

[Ricardo]

"What was initiated by former prime minister Thaksin was good and effective, and there is nothing wrong with utilising extra-judicial measures in narcotics suppression," said Chalerm, who was a police captain before entering politics.

Deputy-PM Chalerm leaps to applaud a policy which led to 2,500 murders, some 50% of whom were totally-unconnected with the drugs trade, as one might expect from someone who was formerly a member of the organisation, which was widely thought to be carrying-out the "extra judicial measures".

Forget about the law, or justice for the murder victims, as we're back-in-power now, and can do whatever we want ?

Yay for Red Justice !

[webfact]

Chalerm demanded progress on illegal casino abolishment

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Deputy Prime Minister Pol Capt Chalerm Ubamrung instructed the Metro Police Bureau to stamp out illegal casinos and horse racing slots, adding that the Police Commander would be held responsible if their mission did not succeed.

There are currently 42 casinos operated illegally around Bangkok and that Pol Capt Chalerm reportedly expected the police to show progress within a few days. He said, however, that it was entirely up to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to decide whether the matter would affect Police Chief if no progress on gambling dens had been made.

In addition to the suppression of illegal gambling, Pol Capt Chalerm stressed that from now on pubs and clubs would be closed at 2 a.m.

Meanwhile, his policy on drug eradication would be similar to that of Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra where the border control would be tightened to prevent narcotic smugglers. As for drug addicts, they would be treated as deemed appropriate.

-- NNT 2011-08-30

[webfact]

City Police Chief Testifies on Gambling Den Scandal

The city police chief has met the police inspector general to clarify the alleged presence of gambling dens in the capital.

Results of the investigation will be forwarded to the national police chief to consider disciplinary action.

Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Police Lieutenant General Chakthip Chaijinda, along with commander of the bureau's Investigation Center, Police Major General Ronasilp Phusara, gave their statements to Police Inspector General Police Lieutenant General Sathaporn Laothong over a gambling den found in the area under the jurisdiction of the Suthisarn police station.

Sathaporn, who is the chairman of a probe panel investigating the presence of gambling venues in Bangkok, revealed that the probe aims at finding out whether any police officers were negligent in allowing gambling venues to operate in the Suthisan area.

Sathaporn expected that he will be able to conclude the investigation and forward it to the national police chief by tomorrow with a list of officers who should face disciplinary action.

The police inspector general also affirmed that the gambling den probe has no link to the annual police reshuffle and the investigation will be extended to four police generals who have been accused of being linked to gambling dens in Bangkok.

Sathaporn went on to say the national police chief is considering extending the probe after Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolwisit claimed that there are still many gambling venues in Bangkok's Taopoon, Rama IX and Chokechai areas, as well as in Khon Kaen, Surat Thani and Songkhla.

City police chief Chakthip said he is not pressured by the probe and will file a written statement with the national police chief as additional evidence.

Chakthip declined commenting whether the recent disclosure about gambling dens is aimed at swaying the upcoming police reshuffle.

-- Tan Network 2011-08-30

[AleG]

"What was initiated by former prime minister Thaksin was good and effective, and there is nothing wrong with utilising extra-judicial measures in narcotics suppression," said Chalerm, who was a police captain before entering politics.

The Deputy Prime Minister openly states that it's fine to break the law (in the case alluded breaking the law includes, but it's not limited to murder). A few weeks in and already things looking bleak.

[hammered]

The EJK remark is worrying

A lot of the social policies seem very Thaksinesque or should I say Purachaiesque

The interesting thing is that an opposition MP has tossed Chalerm a softball to enable police replacement, which must be giving the Dems a heartattack. Old Chuvit is a true maverick. Good to see him in action but he is going to cause as many problems for the Dems as government it seems

[webfact]

PM: No discussion on police chief's transfer yet

BANGKOK, Aug 30 - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday dismissed reports of a possible transfer of national police chief Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree following an outspoken member of parliament's focusing attention on illegal casinos operating in the heart of Bangkok.

Speaking to reporters before chairing a weekly cabinet meeting, the prime minister said the transfer of the police chief has not yet been discussed after Rakprathetthai Party leader and party-list MP Chuwit Kamolvisit showed a video segment recorded at a casino operating in the heart of Bangkok.

The footage aired in Parliament during last week's government’s policy debate sparked criticism among the public over the performance of police for allowing the operation of gambling house in the capital, and added increased speculation on the possible transfer of Pol Gen Wichean and other senior police officers.

Deputy Prime Minister Pol Capt Chalerm Yoobamrung, who supervises police affairs, on Monday announced that a reshuffle within the National Police Bureau will be complete within three days, including the police chief who he said had to take responsibility for existing illegal gambling dens.

Pol Capt Chalerm added he has assigned deputy police chief Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong to supervise drug suppression and Pol Gen Panupong Singhara Na Ayutthaya, another deputy police chief, to take charge of crime suppression.

The deputy premier stated the prime minister is authorised to transfer the police chief. He also said there would be no problem if the police chief voluntarily leaves the post or else he could be transferred to the Prime Minister's Office.

"I will not use the term 'remove' or 'replace' but rather say I will put the right man on the right job," Mr Chalerm said, adding that he could remove any reservation on the part of the public if Gen Priewpan, an elder brother of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's ex-wife Pojaman, replaces Gen Wichean.

The deputy premier said Gen Priewpan is suitable for the top police post in terms of experience and seniority, but his career growth has become 'stagnant' only because he is a relative of the ex-premier Thaksin and that justice should be returned to him. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-30

[webfact]

Police inspector general says 5 police generals and Suthisarn police officers involved with gambling dens; probe send to police chief at 3pm /TAN_Network

[pedro01]

"I will not use the term 'remove' or 'replace' but rather say I will put the right man on the right job," Mr Chalerm said, adding that he could remove any reservation on the part of the public if Gen Priewpan, an elder brother of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's ex-wife Pojaman, replaces Gen Wichean.

The deputy premier said Gen Priewpan is suitable for the top police post in terms of experience and seniority, but his career growth has become 'stagnant' only because he is a relative of the ex-premier Thaksin and that justice should be returned to him. (MCOT online news)

LOL!

Is he sure about that? No-one will have any reservations if Thaksins brother in law is made chief of police?

Surely there must be at least a couple of people in the country who would raise an eyebrow at this!

You gotta laugh.