Thailand: 17 arrested for alleged illegal gambling

Police made the arrests in East Pattaya.

Thailand.- Police have made 17 arrests related to alleged illegal gambling at a storage facility near a rubber plantation in Klong Yai village, Pong Sub-district, East Pattaya. Over 50 officers from both district administration and police forces took part in the operation.

According to the Pattaya Mail, police seized gambling paraphernalia and an undisclosed amount of cash, along with food and drinks. In initial questioning, Khemthit Chanchueng, a 71-year-old woman, admitted to owning the gambling venue. She said the operation had recently started, focusing on dice games only on Sundays.

See also: Opposition parties criticise Thai casino bill

In other news, the Thai Council of State has released the final draft of a bill to legalise entertainment complexes with casinos. The proposed rules include 30-year casino licences, with the option for a 10-year renewal. Casinos would be part of large entertainment complexes with hotels, convention centres, and amusement parks. In May, Julapun Amornvivat suggested that the casino component would be no more than around 5 per cent of the project’s total area.

The draft bill stipulates that complexes should be located in designated areas and operated by companies registered in Thailand with a minimum paid-up capital of THB10bn (US$283m). A policy panel led by the prime minister and a regulatory agency would oversee the industry.