Armed Soldiers Arrest Gamblers in Rice Field
By Khaosod English


Heavily armed soldiers broke up a group of women and men who were caught gambling in the middle of a rice field in the northeastern Amnart Charoen province, 13 Nov 2014.

AMNAT CHAROEN — At least five heavily armed soldiers broke up a group of women and men who were caught gambling in the middle of a rice field in the northeastern Amnart Charoen province today.

A total of 11 suspects were arrested after the soldiers, armed with automatic rifles and body armour, surrounded them with military vehicles at around 9 am this morning. Some of the players attempted to run away and hide in the rice field, but were swiftly apprehended by soldiers.

The soldiers also confiscated the group’s board game set and betting money.

The raid was conducted by a local military unit stationed in the province by Thailand’s military junta, which seized power in May.

Cpt. Komwacharin Korthong, the officer in charge of the raid, said a number of farmers in the area had complained to soldiers that the gamblers were disrupting their harvests by playing “high low,” a popular Thai gambling game, in the rice fields.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1415872950


-- Khaosod English 2014-11-13

Drugs, corruption and human trafficking should be the main concern of the soldiers.

As about "High Low" shouldn't waste their resources chasing them.

One soldier would be enough to go there and tell them to stop it.

But again there was a possibility he would have joined in...................

Do you really need five heavily armed soldiers to stop some people gambling in a rice field? Where is the police?

Thailand in the year 2014, unbelievable. Guess military and martial law have to stay for longer if there are still such serious problems to solve...

Obviously huge sums being wagered here......5 armed soldiers and a few poor rice farmers........!...

That's Martial Law!!

Wow, major bust. 11 rice farmers. What a joke. What about the huge underground Casino's reopening in Bangkok???

"The soldiers also confiscated the groups board game set and betting money".

So they most likely got a monopoly board and 5000baht lol.

Wow, major bust. 11 rice farmers. What a joke. What about the huge underground Casino's reopening in Bangkok???

You know better than that; in this country the rich are protected and the poor are screwed. No joke; harsh reality.

Do you really need five heavily armed soldiers to stop some people gambling in a rice field? Where is the police?

Thailand in the year 2014, unbelievable. Guess military and martial law have to stay for longer if there are still such serious problems to solve...

What does it matter which agency was sent to stop the gambling?

Glad to see they are pounding the poor rice farmers...makes a lot of sense....don't worry about human trafficking

Obviously huge sums being wagered here......5 armed soldiers and a few poor rice farmers........!...

That's Martial Law!!

You might be surprised at the amount some people gamble. And they were acting on a complaint to the army from local farmers whose rice fields were being used disruptively by the gamblers, so why shouldn't they take some action?

Glad to see they are pounding the poor rice farmers...makes a lot of sense....don't worry about human trafficking

Posts of this type are so ridiculous.

Just because a handful of soldiers are used to stop some illegal activity does not mean that every other illegal activity in the country is being allowed to continue. It is possible for more than one investigation to to place at the same time.

And they weren't "pounding the poor rice farmers", the rice farmers were the injured party here, they had complained about the gamblers using their fields.

And the Amnat Charoen Police department were where?

Glad to see they are pounding the poor rice farmers...makes a lot of sense....don't worry about human trafficking

Posts of this type are so ridiculous.

Just because a handful of soldiers are used to stop some illegal activity does not mean that every other illegal activity in the country is being allowed to continue. It is possible for more than one investigation to to place at the same time.

A mustard seed is as big as a pin head, but can grow into an enormous tree within a very short time.

That women in the purple shirt looks just like my mother in-law

And the Amnat Charoen Police department were where?

Who knows, and what does it matter, but possibly investigating other crimes? The farmers who complained about the gamblers made their complaint to the army which would explain why soldiers were sent to investigate. That's what can happen when Martial Law is invoked.

Glad to see they are pounding the poor rice farmers...makes a lot of sense....don't worry about human trafficking

Posts of this type are so ridiculous.

Just because a handful of soldiers are used to stop some illegal activity does not mean that every other illegal activity in the country is being allowed to continue. It is possible for more than one investigation to to place at the same time.

A mustard seed is as big as a pin head, but can grow into an enormous tree within a very short time.

Really? Fascinating.

"...armed with automatic rifles and body armour, surrounded them with military vehicles."

Brilliant use of resources...

I guess they took a chance, but did they go directly to jail, did they pass go, did they collect 200 baht, did they get out of jail free or use their maturing Xmas fund to get out?................so many questions.

The local farmers have learned in the past that complaints to the BIB are ignored so this time they went to the right official to complain. I can agree it was probably a waste of manpower for what was accomplished but the farmers can get back into their fields and do what they are meant to do, ''farm''

If someone set up a crap game in your back yard, trampled your flower beds, etc you may get upset too

Glad to see they are pounding the poor rice farmers...makes a lot of sense....don't worry about human trafficking

Posts of this type are so ridiculous.

Just because a handful of soldiers are used to stop some illegal activity does not mean that every other illegal activity in the country is being allowed to continue. It is possible for more than one investigation to to place at the same time.

And they weren't "pounding the poor rice farmers", the rice farmers were the injured party here, they had complained about the gamblers using their fields.

Oh c'mon...its about priorities ....spending this kind of time and money on such chicken s_it activities?...really!

"...armed with automatic rifles and body armour, surrounded them with military vehicles."

Brilliant use of resources...

Fabricating your own quotes isn't such a good use of resources either.

The powers that be, currently the military, but often in the past politicians and the police, have traditionally always kept the profits from the black economy firmly in their own pockets and crack down disproportionately hard on any entrepreneurial start-ups in the prostitution, gambling, drugs, moonshine or weapons trade.

If you want to make money from these illegal activities, you have to be on the inside here.

What do you think the war on drugs was about? Certainly not eliminating drugs, but rather to bring everyone involved into the fold and ensure the profits went to the "correct" people.

I played "high low" last week!

I stopped at a shop because of heavy rain and they were playing so just to have something to do while I was waiting for the rain to pass by I played until I lost 100Baht. Among the players where 4 police officers and 2 soldiers so I thought that it shouldn't be a problem to play...

And as some say it can be large amount of money they play for, I did only bet 20 Baht a round to have some thing to do while waiting but some of the police officers and one of the soldiers were betting up to several thousand a round!

Obviously cereal gamblers, authorities cropping too much flax and was only a matter of thyme.

Glad to see they are pounding the poor rice farmers...makes a lot of sense....don't worry about human trafficking

Posts of this type are so ridiculous.

Just because a handful of soldiers are used to stop some illegal activity does not mean that every other illegal activity in the country is being allowed to continue. It is possible for more than one investigation to to place at the same time.

And they weren't "pounding the poor rice farmers", the rice farmers were the injured party here, they had complained about the gamblers using their fields.

They didn't stop the illegal activity because of the complaint. It was stopped because it was not sanctioned by the Army.

I feel safer now.

Glad to see they are pounding the poor rice farmers...makes a lot of sense....don't worry about human trafficking

Posts of this type are so ridiculous.

Just because a handful of soldiers are used to stop some illegal activity does not mean that every other illegal activity in the country is being allowed to continue. It is possible for more than one investigation to to place at the same time.

And they weren't "pounding the poor rice farmers", the rice farmers were the injured party here, they had complained about the gamblers using their fields.

They didn't stop the illegal activity because of the complaint. It was stopped because it was not sanctioned by the Army.

No the army probably stopped because it was probably sanctioned by the local police.

Pathetic

Do you really need five heavily armed soldiers to stop some people gambling in a rice field? Where is the police?

Thailand in the year 2014, unbelievable. Guess military and martial law have to stay for longer if there are still such serious problems to solve...

What does it matter which agency was sent to stop the gambling?

As the army are hardly an agency of the people or the government, with SOPs that are entirely incompatible with civilians and more so with there nations own citizens. There is more than enough material discussing this topic to be found.

However I think Battlestar Galactica summed it up:

Commander William Adama: There's a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people

Obviously cereal gamblers, authorities cropping too much flax and was only a matter of thyme.

Oh, that was a very rye comment, I must say.

It was oat and oat harassment by the army, after someone grassed them up.

The players barley make a living growing rice and they have to wheat months until they get paid.

They deserve some entertainment, although I am amaized where they get the cash from..