Police arrest 667 people involved in World Cup betting

BANGKOK, 17 June 2014 (NNT) – Police reported that a total of 667 arrests have been made so far in connection with widespread football betting since the start of the World Cup tournament.

Among the arrested individuals, 68 of them were allegedly bookmakers, 581 were punters, and 18 were bet couriers.

The arrests resulted in the seizure of over 170,000 baht in cash and bankbooks with deposits of reaching as high as 191,500 baht. The majority of cases were reported in Bangkok and its vicinity.

The Royal Thai Police has earlier launched the World Cup 2014 Gambling Prevention & Suppression Center to closely monitor online gambling.

Meanwhile, banks have been urged to track and report unusual financial transactions during the tournament. Bank employees have also been instructed to refrain from being involved in football betting. So far, no unusual activities have been detected.


-- NNT 2014-06-17

Police 1 : Gamblers 0

Is this the 3rd time or the 4 time the world cup story has been run? Might be easier just to do 1 big tally in a months time, although somewhat less impressive maybe................

blocking espn.com is the answer......brilliant......jfb

This is very interesting as I was trying to access WWW.ESPN.COM today as I like keeping up on all the sports and today the webpage was blocked...my guess is the coup leaders believe that by blocking this webpage, people won't be able to follow the football scores....are you serious?

I heard someone bet on England to beat Italy,i don't beleive it.

This is very interesting as I was trying to access WWW.ESPN.COM today as I like keeping up on all the sports and today the webpage was blocked...my guess is the coup leaders believe that by blocking this webpage, people won't be able to follow the football scores....are you serious?

Even my fb games are block by ICT....can't imagine why?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

do they really believe they will discourage betting by doing this?...this is going a little too far

do they really believe they will discourage betting by doing this?...this is going a little too far

I would advise them to block every betting site. Disgusting habit.

What a waste of time and money but the game goes on. Arresting people for spending their own money, yes freedom is but a dream!

What a waste of time and money but the game goes on. Arresting people for spending their own money, yes freedom is but a dream!

Interesting take on that.

Currently it is illegal. It was before the 22nd of May and it was after the 22nd of May. So because the police are arresting people for doing something illegal it is a lose of freedom? So when the PTP turned a blind eye to it then it was freedom. Never mind that it was illegal. It was still freedom because the PTP were in power. Don't you have the law and freedom mixed up?

If they should be able to spend there own money should the law not be changed then? Which will be done democratically through parliament and then decided by the senate?

Or does it suit an agenda that because the junta are in power and the police are doing there job it is the Junta's fault for suppressing freedom by making the police arrest people for breaking the law?

Doesn't make sense or was it a quick illogical swipe at the Junta?

say in a bar "I bet this drink was watered down" and get arrested for betting ?

What a waste of time and money but the game goes on. Arresting people for spending their own money, yes freedom is but a dream!

Interesting take on that.

Currently it is illegal. It was before the 22nd of May and it was after the 22nd of May. So because the police are arresting people for doing something illegal it is a lose of freedom? So when the PTP turned a blind eye to it then it was freedom. Never mind that it was illegal. It was still freedom because the PTP were in power. Don't you have the law and freedom mixed up?

If they should be able to spend there own money should the law not be changed then? Which will be done democratically through parliament and then decided by the senate?

Or does it suit an agenda that because the junta are in power and the police are doing there job it is the Junta's fault for suppressing freedom by making the police arrest people for breaking the law?

Doesn't make sense or was it a quick illogical swipe at the Junta?

Whoa! there, silver; how do you read there is an agenda in the simple but true statement? You are or are becoming paranoid.

What a waste of time and money but the game goes on. Arresting people for spending their own money, yes freedom is but a dream!

They were arresting people for breaking the law, not for going on a spending spree.

say in a bar "I bet this drink was watered down" and get arrested for betting ?

Possibly, yes, if there was money involved, that is what is illegal.

Fruit loops........

A drop in the bucket. Got a card playing den behind my house and it is business as usual every day. Police protection?????

With all the "real" problems staring Thailand in the face...it seems the police could be rounding up extortionist and career criminals...rather than preying on sports gamblers...

This type of gambling will probably become legal in years to come...

This is very interesting as I was trying to access WWW.ESPN.COM today as I like keeping up on all the sports and today the webpage was blocked...my guess is the coup leaders believe that by blocking this webpage, people won't be able to follow the football scores....are you serious?

Last year or whenever it was I tried to access Australia's TAB website to check some odds on tennis I think it was (I wasn't going to bet) but that has also been blocked and this was a while ago now, well before the coup. If Thailand could put as much effort into improving road traffic safety and fining offenders as they put into preventing gambling, including online gambling then this country would see a dramatic drop in the road toll.

I am wondering what the deal is with preventing gambling here? Why is it seen as such an "evil"? Surely the leaders, past and present of Thailand don't think that the average Thai really cares about watching sports if there's no gambling involved? Watching merely for the "love of the game" in a country that is anything from sports loving, where most people dread the thought of walking more than a few steps? Besides, by legalizing gambling the government could generate massive revenue. Come on...really, why has nobody ever thought of that?

With all the "real" problems staring Thailand in the face...it seems the police could be rounding up extortionist and career criminals...rather than preying on sports gamblers...

This type of gambling will probably become legal in years to come...

They ARE 'rounding up extortionist and career criminals' too, they are tackling every crime as the police should have always done....Can you stop moaning about what you think they aren't doing and be happy for what we know they finally are doing ?

667 down, 40,000,000 to go. Should have as much success as they do at ending human trafficking I reckon.

This is very interesting as I was trying to access WWW.ESPN.COM today as I like keeping up on all the sports and today the webpage was blocked...my guess is the coup leaders believe that by blocking this webpage, people won't be able to follow the football scores....are you serious?

The coup leaders, nor their toadies and lackies, have NOT blocked Espn or similar sites. If it's blocked for you, blame your ISP and ring them up, suggest a spinal implant.

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Odds on that they weren't the worst offenders....

This is very interesting as I was trying to access WWW.ESPN.COM today as I like keeping up on all the sports and today the webpage was blocked...my guess is the coup leaders believe that by blocking this webpage, people won't be able to follow the football scores....are you serious?

The coup leaders, nor their toadies and lackies, have NOT blocked Espn or similar sites. If it's blocked for you, blame your ISP and ring them up, suggest a spinal implant.

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I'd like to believe this but when attempting to access the webpage, a Thai junta style page comes up , written in Thai explaining that the site has been shutdown

I can't think of any other reason why they would do it other than to think they are going to stamp out world cup betting...come on !

I'd like to believe this but when attempting to access the webpage, a Thai junta style page comes up , written in Thai explaining that the site has been shutdown

And rather than ask your ISP why, you re-post the information.

Almost all people (including me) have complete access to the Espn.com website. Some do not. Those people who do not (and get the dreaded TCSD logo) are suffering from a spineless or incompetent ISP. There is no third possibility.

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