Defiant Veera now urges media to visit new casino site

By The Nation

 

Veera claims in the photo that the casino is just behind the Chong Sai Takoo checkpoint, Burirum.

 

Anti-corruption activist Veera Somkwamkid has made a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday inviting the media to visit a new casino allegedly sited on overlapping territory between Thailand and Cambodia.

 

The move is apparently in response to the rejection of this allegation by some senior military officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan who said on Tuesday that the casino was located in Cambodian territory.

 

Veera pointed out that the casino is actually on territory that Thailand is still contesting, and hence Thai authorities should not help confirm such an unverified fact.

 

He wanted to take the media to the site to prove the point.

 

The opening of the new casino came under the spotlight after Veera claimed in his Facebook posts that the casino was located in a border area and may be sited in the Ta Phraya National Park, which forms part of a World Heritage Site.

 

Veera questioned why the military government had allowed this to happen, and suspected that the previous post he had made on the same issue had led to a warrant being issued for his arrest over a week ago for violation of the Computer Crime Act.

 

The casino is reported to be situated close to the Sai Takoo border checkpoint in Buri Ram province where former politician Newin Chidchob, now a football-club sponsor, is known to be influential.

 

Newin on Monday filed a complaint with the police seeking charges against the Facebook account owner, apparently Veera, for posts that he claimed had also implicated him of involvement with the casino, Nation TV reported.

 

But in his post last Sunday, Veera did not mention Newin, but referred to some close aides of Cambodian leaders.

 

He also alleged that Thailand’s National Parks Department was being negligent in carrying out its duty.

 

This resulted in the agency undertaking an examination of the official map of the national park to prove that the casino was not located within its perimeter, followed by a prompt denial of Veera’s allegation.

 

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Tuesday that the Cabinet had not considered at its weekly meeting the issue of the new casino being allegedly sited on an adjoining territory between Thailand and Cambodia. The Foreign Ministry has also not written to Cambodian authorities regarding the matter, he said.

 

Don added that a number of casinos had opened in border areas without posing any problems.

 

Former police chief Somyot Poompanmoung, who is known to have thrown his support for legalisation of casinos, on Wednesday stepped out to file a police complaint against a Facebook page that accused him of jointly investing with a politician in a new casino on the Thailand-Cambodia border near Buri Ram province. Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, also joined him in filing the complaint, but it’s not clear whether the page is Veera’s.

 

Somyot insisted that he had no role in the casino and he had never run any business in Cambodia. He said what had caused him the most concern was the allegation that he had referred to a noble figure, and that’s the reason why he had filed a police complaint.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30310283

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-25

Lots of things going to Buriram. Moto Gp funds, casino. Are we seeing 2008 revisited in a more subtle manner. I am sure the head of sino THAI engineering and also head of the buumjumthai party is happy about proceeedngs. Lets see how many massive constuction projects sino THAI get.

Gamble responsibly,

like drugs some can par take and walk away,

 

Yep. This is the smugglers crossing by farangs for bringing back excess cigarettes and getting busted by customs. I personally know of 6 that have done this with fines of up to 50,000 baht. This crossing is controlled by the army not immigration. This crossing is considered a local crossing not international. A farang has to leave their passport with the army to cross over. There are only dirt tracks on the other side and you must travel about 5km to reach black top and then its potted. GPS 14.3345462205, 103.1759367  BTW in the photo the casino is to the left of the gentleman and has a tower crane standing over it. That crane and casino have been there and under construction for at least 5 years and that gate has not been opened.

What is this fabled land 'between Thailand and Cambodia'?  A country that is not on any map?  Sounds a little like Bir Tawil

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bir_Tawil

Excellent - calling out the liars and the blind.

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Veera questioned why the military government had allowed this to happen,

 

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He also alleged that Thailand’s National Parks Department was being negligent in carrying out its duty.

A casino in an Army controlled area.  Pretty easy to understand how this happened and why Parks Department were unaware or did not care. 

I think Mr Veera may have started gambling even before the casino opens ( with his life ) considering the reputation of those usually associated with the casino business. 

Give it 18 months and there will be casino's all over Thailand 

Even extreme right and loyal military supporter like Veera had enough of the junta hypocrisy and spoke out. Not our own faithful junta defenders.

15 hours ago, khwaibah said:

Yep. This is the smugglers crossing by farangs for bringing back excess cigarettes and getting busted by customs. I personally know of 6 that have done this with fines of up to 50,000 baht. This crossing is controlled by the army not immigration. This crossing is considered a local crossing not international. A farang has to leave their passport with the army to cross over. There are only dirt tracks on the other side and you must travel about 5km to reach black top and then its potted. GPS 14.3345462205, 103.1759367  BTW in the photo the casino is to the left of the gentleman and has a tower crane standing over it. That crane and casino have been there and under construction for at least 5 years and that gate has not been opened.

5 years? Predates   current  regime plans  for  a new laundry  perhaps? Also  why it  took 5  years   for  completion.  Funny  money funding  reduced.

Currently  farang are  barred from  crossing despite the  casino opening. Apparently  due to the  farang  penchant  for  blatant  smuggling.