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Thai police chief backs legalisation of casino operations


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Police chief backs legalisation of casino operations

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BANGKOK: -- Royal Thai Police commissioner Pol Gen Somyot Phumhnmuang today come out openly to back call by some national reform assemblymen to open free casino operations in the country, saying he was ready to face strong opposition by non-governmental organisations.

Holding a press conference to courageously declare his full support for free casino operations, Pol Gen Somyot said he was ready to become the first national police chief to propose free casinos before he retires end of September this year.

He said he would personally launch a website to sound out public opinions on free casino operations.

He cited Switzerland as an example of protest against free casinos when the idea was first proposed, saying 20 years afterwards, the country has casinos right in the middle of the country.

As Thailand has better geographic location than many other countries, including Macaw, and has several tourist locations, attractive shopping centres, and delicious food, free casino operations could generate huge revenues to the country.

But the national police chief said his free casino operations would be restrictive while native people will be barred from entry.

He said people entering casinos must be carefully screened, particularly native or local people will not be allowed to go into the casino.

Only well-to-do people who are no native to the casino locations, or from other places will be allowed to enter, he said.

For example, if a casino is located in Chiang Mai, only people from the South be allowed to go in, while casinos in Phuket, Koh Larn, or Ubon Ratchathani will allow entries for gamblers from other provinces.

The is a distribution of income to all the people in each region, he said.

But above all, gamblers going into casinos must have strong financial position, he said.

He said revenues generated from casinos must be used to promote education and social development activities.

Pol Gen Somyot said he came out today to back free casino operations with no fear of opposition from any group, or even NGOs,

He said he is a sort of person who dares to face the truth even though he may confront protest from Thai Buddhists with claim Thailand is a Buddhist country.

“I know the root behaviour of Thais. Don’t cite Buddhism country to oppose free casino as in reality illegal gambling and mobile casinos are still in operations,” he added.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/police-chief-backs-legalisation-of-casino-operations

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-- Thai PBS 2015-06-17

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It's actually a great idea, no matter how badly/incompetently its implemented. Pattaya bars are dying, hard. Putting in casinos will complete this city to a place like Macau.

Rip out the mostly depressing gogo bars on walking street and put in Chinese casinos. Although I think the city roads are at max capacity for Chinese busses. However the Chinese cruise industry is just now getting serious so bring them down via Lam Chabang.

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Seems like all the Thaksin lackey are getting in line to fulfil Thaksin's long held dream of owning his first legal casino in Thailand...

post-46292-0-66106200-1434532192_thumb.j

"Past governments, including the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, had floated the prospect of granting concessions to investors to develop such entertainment and gaming complexes in Thailand..."

"Mr Chuvit said the casino's owner has ties to the relatives of "the man who now lives in Dubai", a likely reference to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. He said he would like Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra - Thaksin's sister - to ask her relatives whether they know about the gambling den."

"He also accused Maj Anan, who is a former Pheu Thai MP, of seeking to bring about ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's dream of opening a legal casino in the country."

"...at least 2.5 trillion baht is gambled illegally by Thais each year. This huge sum has caught the eye of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He wants to open legal casinos ... In November 2002, the PM met with the chairman of MGM Mirage, the leading casino corporation in America, about possible investment in Thailand."

Edited by waza
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>>Holding a press conference to courageously declare his full support for free casino operations, Pol Gen Somyot said he was ready to become the first national police chief to propose free casinos<< Quote

WOW, what a brave man!!clap2.gif

What he really said:

It will be easier for me and other high ranking officers to explain our unusual wealth, if casinos were legalized.............,

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At the moment there are harsh penalties for gambling and with a reason , most Thai's have no idea of money sense , they will lose the pay packet within 10 mins of being paid if they thought that a 100% take was in the offering or Red nose was going to win at Sha Tin @ 100/1 , the Casino's would need to be on the same scale as Macau and one must, a dress code , unless you are dressed in a Armani suit and arrive in a Pink Bentley with a Rolex watch you are barred from entry , that sorts out the fishing boat crew from the BKK Elite. coffee1.gif

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He needs to modify the requirements about local people. Thais should not be able to bet in the casinos at all, and foreign investors should be banned from owning casinos. This is the only way to insure that the biggest flow of money is into Thailand from outside of the country. Dealers could be added to the long list of Thai only occupations as well.

Edited by FloridaExport
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Isn't that the same person who 1) won't strip a fugitive criminal of his police rank, and who just today 2) "proposed" that Thailand put up tighter (some say, repressive) internet controls by establishing one single government-monitored portal for the entire country in true China style? And now 3) he wants to legalize casinos?

The man is an enigma, to say the least, and I cannot help wondering what's in it for him with regards to 1), 2), and 3). I think it's a rhetorical question anyway.

A thorough - and honest and consequent! - reform of this entire corrupt police force is desperately needed (and has been needed for decades); and please start at the very top.

Edited by Misterwhisper
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The idea of blocking your own people from the casinos is not a new idea. If you ever go to Aruba, you will find tables at the entrance where the people of Aruba must check-in. If memory serves me right, they register upon entry, can go 4 times a month, for one hour each. The machines there have the worst payout that you will find anywhere. They don't expect repeat business from Tourists, and hit you hard from the start. Won't be my cup of tea.

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What a weird article and proposal... At first, I thought he was proposing that the casinos would only be open to non-Thais, i.e. tourists. But then it shifted into allowing Thais in, just so long as they didn't live in the same region as the casino. OK....

And then the article keeps referring to "FREE casino operations." Not quite sure what he means about them being FREE... Sure not free for those losing their money gambling there. Sure not free for the operators of any such casinos, who presumably would have to give a sizable portion of their take to both the government officially via taxes and probably unofficially to "influential persons" for the right to open and continuing staying in business.

The only thing I can say is...if Thailand ever goes ahead with this plan, I sure hope they don't give the BIB any role in regulating or monitoring or operating these places. Were the BIB to get involved, an epidemic of "unexplained/unusual wealth" would strike Thailand like has never been seen before.

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The idea of blocking your own people from the casinos is not a new idea. If you ever go to Aruba, you will find tables at the entrance where the people of Aruba must check-in. If memory serves me right, they register upon entry, can go 4 times a month, for one hour each. The machines there have the worst payout that you will find anywhere. They don't expect repeat business from Tourists, and hit you hard from the start. Won't be my cup of tea.

Same rule also applies in Malaysia and Cambodia. In Malaysia Malays are not allowed to enter the casinos, while chinese and indians can. In cambodia all locals are barred from entering casinos.

Edited by Lukecan
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CASINO
Police chief backs casinos, PM 'not opposed' to idea

THE NATION

30262552-01_big.jpg
Police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung

BANGKOK: -- NRC member Sungsidh says Singapore has earnt a huge sum from its casinos and Thailand could reap even more

Police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung yesterday backed a controversial proposal to permit legal casinos, saying he would open a website to sound out public opinions on the issue.

"I am ready to declare myself as the first national police chief to push for [legal] casinos," he said, adding that he would organise a press conference to clarify his position on the issue - one month before his retirement at the end of September.

Somyot said new casinos should be open to registered members who reside in different areas. Registered residents in the South, for example, could be allowed to enter a casino in Chiang Mai.

Under a proposal unveiled earlier this week by some members of the National Reform Council (NRC), possible sites for casinos include Phuket, Ubon Ratchathani, and Koh Larn, which is situated off Pattaya in Chon Buri.

"I am not afraid of being slammed by groups of people and members of society [that are against casinos], as I adhere to reality and well realise the Thai people's gambling habit. Illegal and underground gambling activities flourish with [or without] legal casinos," Somyot said.

NRC member Assoc Prof Sungsidh Piriyarangsan, an academic who has studied the legalisation of gambling and police corruption stemming from it, said casinos could generate up to Bt400 billion in the first year.

And he argued that legal casinos in Thailand would surely outperform those in Singapore - which has seen around S$190 billion (Bt4.75 trillion) generated each year - given the Kingdom's greater number of tourist attractions, plus its abundance and variety of food and other natural resources.

Casinos in Thailand would come later than those elsewhere, but operating them after other nations would present an advantage in that weak points in countries that had run them for some time could be studied and corrected, said Sungsidh, who is dean of the College Of Social Innovation at Rangsit University.

Citing Singapore's case, he said the island-state's annual visitor numbers had increased to 15 million in 2014 from 9.7 million when the casinos opened in 2009, hotel reservations had risen 24 per cent and the room occupancy rate by 10 per cent, while 30,000 jobs had been created in and around the casino sector.

Singapore has used casinos as supplementary activities for event participants to support its tourism and event industries, he said. Other facilities capable of supporting casino operations were large-scale convention centres with up to 30,000 seats in total, more tourist attractions, hotels, shopping areas, entertainment venues and restaurants that could be accessed by electric trains.

He said the first Thai casinos should be opened in Pattaya, as it already has some of these support facilities, while others have been proposed for the area.

The minimum age of casino entrants should be 30, and they should be able to prove a minimum monthly salary of Bt300,000. He said they should also pay a high cover charge for each visit.

A group of NRC members who raised the legal-casino issue said yesterday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and NRC president Thienchay Kiranandana were not openly opposed.

They quoted Prayut as saying "the government has no stance on the issue and the public could voice their views on it", and Thienchay as saying "the legalisation of gambling is not on the NRC's current agenda".

Meanwhile, The Moral Centre, a public body, expressed concern over the issue, saying lax enforcement of restrictions against unregistered gamblers would worsen social and crime-related problems.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-chief-backs-casinos-PM-not-opposed-to-idea-30262552.html

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-- The Nation 2015-06-18

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Somyot said new casinos should be open to registered members who reside in different areas. Registered residents in the South, for example, could be allowed to enter a casino in Chiang Mai.

In those cases, the real gambling takes place on the road trip to the casino. If you arrive safely, you are a triple-winner before you even step inside the doors. I would urge them to invest in the roads and not the casinos. Safer roads and strictly regulated drivers will attract more visitors and investment too.

I have counselled many "A-Team" alcoholics, and what stunned me was how many of them turned to drink *after* losing their house and family through gambling. It is easy to say "we are making classy casinos for wealthy tourists" but will that somehow be controlled, to inoculate the normal working people who can't afford even one single losing streak. These decisions are of utmost importance, because the primary duty of all governments is the protection of its citizens. Any increase in gambling investment has to be balanced with increased education about the risks of gambling on a low income, and support-services to prevent losers turning to alcoholism or suicide. Many people buy lottery tickets because the state says these are OK, but many of these people do not visit gambling dens because the state says those places are bad. If casinos are greenlighted, these people will think it is OK and the same as casual use of lottery tickets, which of course it is not.

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Isn't that the same person who 1) won't strip a fugitive criminal of his police rank, and who just today 2) "proposed" that Thailand put up tighter (some say, repressive) internet controls by establishing one single government-monitored portal for the entire country in true China style? And now 3) he wants to legalize casinos?

The man is an enigma, to say the least, and I cannot help wondering what's in it for him with regards to 1), 2), and 3). I think it's a rhetorical question anyway.

A thorough - and honest and consequent! - reform of this entire corrupt police force is desperately needed (and has been needed for decades); and please start at the very top.

A thorough - and honest and consequent! - reform of this entire corrupt police force is desperately needed (and has been needed for decades)

I think the PM has, with the help of think-tanks, been planning a strategy to do just that but it is not something you can attack directly because of all the hidden connections. The PM must be careful whose toes he steps on and whose toes he steps on first while trying not to step on the wrong toes. This is still Thailand. The Police have a lot of dirt on a lot of non-police and vice-versa. It was recently announced that phase 3 of the reform plan, which included, among other things, police reform. Prayut has set a precedent with the arrest of CIB chief, Pongpat Chaiyapan so no one is really safe if dirty. It will be interesting to see if we get to see public prosecutions or will face be saved and many will retire and we never hear of them. I still think two years is not enough time to reform the RTP.

.

Edited by rametindallas
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I think its a great idea. Thailand is missing out on real quality tourists because of the casino ban. Well off tourists head to macau because of this regulation.

Casino tourists never leave the casino. They don't take side tours to experience Thailand and contribute only to the casino interests. Never been to Vegas, have you?

.

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Seems like all the Thaksin lackey are getting in line to fulfil Thaksin's long held dream of owning his first legal casino in Thailand...

attachicon.gifThaksin-Shinawatra_1382583c.jpg

"Past governments, including the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, had floated the prospect of granting concessions to investors to develop such entertainment and gaming complexes in Thailand..."

"Mr Chuvit said the casino's owner has ties to the relatives of "the man who now lives in Dubai", a likely reference to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. He said he would like Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra - Thaksin's sister - to ask her relatives whether they know about the gambling den."

"He also accused Maj Anan, who is a former Pheu Thai MP, of seeking to bring about ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's dream of opening a legal casino in the country."

"...at least 2.5 trillion baht is gambled illegally by Thais each year. This huge sum has caught the eye of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He wants to open legal casinos ... In November 2002, the PM met with the chairman of MGM Mirage, the leading casino corporation in America, about possible investment in Thailand."

I agree with you. I am sure this is Thaksin's doing.

Why is the police chief still putting off the removal of Thaksin's police rank?

That man still has a LOT of influence in Thailand.

Having said that, yes I think it would be a good idea to have casinos in Thailand. I think it would bring a lot of money into the country and keep a lot in.

The only problem could be the mafia gangs that would be formed.

Personally, I don't care. I used to live close to a casino, but never went there. The only winners are the owners.

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"And he argued that legal casinos in Thailand would surely outperform those in Singapore - which has seen around S$190 billion (Bt4.75 trillion) generated each year - given the Kingdom's greater number of tourist attractions, plus its abundance and variety of food and other natural resources."

Wonderfully researched as always by The Nation (NOT)! The figure is the equivalent of about 190 billion baht, not S$! I didn't think it was possible for 2 casinos to take half a billion dollars every day so I checked.

Singapore's overall tourist receipts for 2014 were S$23.6bn. Still one third of that is from the casinos which is very substantial.

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The minimum age of casino entrants should be 30, and they should be able to prove a minimum monthly salary of Bt300,000. He said they should also pay a high cover charge for each visit.

Oh really??? What portion of Thailand's workforce earns $9000 U.S. per month in salary, or about $108,000 per year?

For that matter, what portion of the current tourist visitor arrivals to Thailand earn $9000 a month?

It kind of begins to sound like a Thaksin Thailand elite scheme all over again, just in a different guise.

And we all know how well that did in attracting rich tourists to Thailand.

Or, perhaps, in the end, they'll just open the casinos to anyone who has two pennies to rub together, and all this minimum income stuff is just a political/cultural smokescreen.

Edited by TallGuyJohninBKK
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Which of the billionaire families will benefit from this pro[posal? Probably all of them, at the expense of ordinary Thais.

This is the same police chief who rejects that Thaksin is stripped off his police title, who no backs a proposal that has always been Thaksins brain child, as he had plans to build several casino's during his reign.

You still want I answer the question, or you got it already? biggrin.png

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Which of the billionaire families will benefit from this pro[posal? Probably all of them, at the expense of ordinary Thais.

The Shinawatras, Thaksin already own casinos in Cambodia.

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"Hi Low Gamblers Caught Behind central Pattaya Police Box"

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/833669-hi-low-gamblers-caught-behind-central-pattaya-police-box/?utm_source=newsletter-20150618-0735&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Maybe this is why Thailand is not ready for casinos and why authorities aren't doing a good enough job, even though the gamblers were caught in the news. But most casino operators have police backing.

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