Did you know gambling in Thailand is illegal? Today there were 27 arrests including a Thai politician. Is it time Thailand changes its laws? (Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash)
27 people are certainly not smiling in the country nicknamed ‘The Land of Smiles’ as early on Sunday morning, Police swarmed a hotel after being tipped off about an illegal Baccarat game that was being played by 27 players on the island of Phuket. The reason this is such interesting news is that the country still operates under strict no-gambling laws with severe punishments.
Thailand is known for a variety of attractions, nightlife, history, beaches and spicy food; however, the enjoyment of gambling is something that is strictly prohibited, and enforced, in the beautiful Southeast Asia country. Although there are online casinos in Thailand, they are illegal and tend to only operate via mobile casino apps through casino agents. Also, land-based operations are forbidden, yet a number of illegal underground casinos still operate across the country.
Considering so much is legal in Thailand or so we tolerate much activity that is illegal in most other countries in the land of smiles, it is still off that the country’s bigwigs take such a tough approach on gambling as a whole. Almost every Islamic country prohibits gambling of every kind, but a lot of the countries find it very difficult to prevent online gambling or simply do not have regulations in place for this shady area. It can be expected that an Islamic country would have gambling restrictions – due to religious reasons – however, for a Buddhist country, who project such a relaxed image – it is hard to believe that gambling is still illegal today.
There have been some rumours in Bangkok and Thailand’s most popular English newspaper that the government is considering the legalisation of land-based casinos in the country, but that report was last year and so far no new news has popped up. Maybe the sharp increase in gambling arrests and the fact that so many Thais go overseas to gamble, the government may soon bring the topic back to the government’s agenda.
27 Arrested, Including Local Politician
On Sunday morning, local Police entered the hotel after being told by a local informant of illegal gaming activity. Police had been monitoring the hotel for a couple of weeks as it was accused of being used for locals as some form of gambling den. Police raided the building to find 27 unsuspecting players, playing baccarat. The accused were immediately detained and the room was swept to recover any gambling equipment. During the search, Police found: 3 baccarat tables, computers, chips and several other items associated with gambling. All items were seized.
Shockingly, of the 27 arrested, there was a local Thai politician. This is an indicator of how serious Thailand takes it’s no-gambling policy. Thailand has often been accused of bias towards those in power, however, it appears that even a politician was not able to use their power to get out of this situation.
Punishment for gambling in Thailand
Gambling in Thailand can lead to imprisonment for up to 3 years, as well as a small fine. Some ‘games of chance’ like national lottery and raffles are allowed, but to many other countries, to define this as ‘gambling’ is a bit of a far stretch. There are no casinos in Thailand, which has led to a lot of illegal underground activity, and reports such as this one, happen several times a year. There is a clear desire amongst a significant number of citizens to partake in gambling activities, but for the restrictions, they are not allowed.
Benefits that legalized Gambling can Bring
The negative impacts of gambling are well reported when compared against the positives. But the benefits that gambling can bring are vast. For an exaggerated example, Las Vegas could be looked at. Without gambling, it would be a ghost city, with little to no appeal. Gambling however, has created a huge marketing opportunity for the country and has contributed to endless amounts of wealth brought into the United States. The local economy has benefitted hugely, with local restaurants, bars and shops that have profited from countless amounts of foot traffic over the years. Interestingly, Las Vegas gambling has created approximately 115,000 jobs to the city, which has many benefits in itself.
Easing Gambling Laws
Some countries that have struggled with the impact of Covid-19 may have to reconsider their stance on gambling. The pandemic has caused damage to every country in some way, but some worse than others. For Thailand and other countries that rely heavily on tourism, gambling could be a way to recover financially when travel restrictions return to normal. Thailand has seen a lot of people be put out of work, so a new attraction like gambling, could creates thousands of much needed jobs. It would also help the country gain another source of income as they could tax such facilities.
Hard to Believe that Gambling is Still Illegal in Some Places
Thailand is not the only country to have strict laws against gambling, a lot of Islamic countries do too. A few other countries have strong laws against gambling, but it is not entirely outlawed. Poland and Cyprus are 2 European countries where there are strict laws. Many Asian countries do not allow gambling. Along with Thailand, Cambodia has strict laws against it. Vietnam have casinos, but players are not allowed to enter if they have a criminal record.
There are 23 casinos in South Korea, but only one of those will allow South Korean citizens to play. North Korea is similar, they have 2 casinos but are only open for foreign players. They have some online casino sites, but Internet access is not generally available across the communist state, so citizens couldn’t play anyway.
