Thailand, the land of beautiful islands and people, wild parties, and the vibrant city of Bangkok, follows the neighbors’ footsteps by keeping the majority of the casino games illegitimate. Stare lottery and horse racing are the two legal gambling options available to the people of Thailand. Though gambling is declared illegal in the country, vast people play online and offline casino games. Putting bets through unauthorized bookmarkers does not come without risks. They are infamous for withholding payment of prize money on many pretexts. People cannot lodge complain, as the act is redeemed to be illegal.
Thailand Civil and Commercial Code
U/S 853 and 855 of the Thailand Civil and Commercial Code, any form of gambling debt, whether to a friend or bookie, is not repayable. These ambiguous laws forced Thai people to turn to offshore gambling websites where there is safer than the law of the land. Players can avail themselves of an endless array of games such as Pokdeng online (ป๊อกเด้งออนไลน์), poker, slot, roulette, and card games. Other conservative countries have reluctantly eased gambling laws, but the Thai government has not yet taken a concrete step to resolve the issue. The government always discouraged citizens from partaking in any form of gambling, online or territorial.
The ministry of information and communication technology has started scrutinizing internet traffic and blocking IP addresses from where offshore gambling sites are accessed. Telephone calls are also under the scanner during major wagering events like a poker tournament. These are preventive measures to discourage Thai people from betting. Government law enforcement agencies are more focused on land-based casinos than digital ones. People using online gambling websites are relatively on the safer side.
The betting market
Despite the total ban, except for two variants of gambling, 70% population of Thailand is indulging in gambling either through online service providers or through back street grey market bookmakers. Football betting is prevalent in Thailand; during the 2008 UEFA championships, thousand people were arrested for betting on Austria vs. Switzerland match. The state lottery is one of the two legitimate gambling options available to Thai citizens. Apart from horse racing, golf is attracting many bettors, spurred by the success of Thai professional Thongchai Jaidee. More people are betting through offshore gambling sites in golf tournaments like US Open, Masters, and Asian Tour.
Thai lottery is drawn twice a month, the 1st and 16th of a month. The draw is supervised by Government Lottery Office (GLO). There are two oldest and famous tracks of horse racing in Bangkok; The royal Bangkok Sports Club (1901) and the Royal Turf Club of Thailand (1916). The lowest betting size on these turfs is 50Baht. 95% of Thai citizens follow Buddhism, and wagering is regarded as a sin in this religion.
The gambling Act of B.E 2478 of 1935 is the cornerstone of regulating wagering activity in the country. This law divides gambling into two parts; list A and list B. List A consists of animal fights like cock or dog fights. Some other types of casino games like roulette and slot are included in this list. List B consists of any other type of gambling activity. Punishment for breaching of list A games can be fine of 5000 Bahts and three years’ imprisonment; for list B, the maximum punishment is 1000 Bahts and one-year imprisonment. Try the safer version of Pokdeng online (ป๊อกเด้งออนไลน์).
