Thailand’s Kla Party pushes for legalisation of gambling
Korn Chatikavanij, leader of the Kla Party, has announced his party’s support for the legalisation of gambling as part of its strategy to boost the economy.
Thailand.- Korn Chatikavanij, leader of the Kla Party has said that he hopes for Thailand will move ahead with gambling reform to boost the economy and fight illegal gambling.
Speaking at a congress at the Centara Government Complex Hotel, he said: “No one wants to promote gambling. But, in reality, we must accept that business in the grey area benefits those who violate laws and those influential individuals with links to gangsters and organised crime. So, it’s time to change that.”
The government committee that is studying the legalisation of gambling in Thailand will release its findings next month, according to a committee member who spoke with the Bangkok Post. The committee has previously suggested that Thailand’s first casino could be in Bangkok or surrounding areas due to the proximity to airports, road connections and hotel infrastructure.
Thailand and Cambodia join forces to crack down on online gambling dens
Officials from the Thai and Cambodian governments have signed a memorandum of understanding to crack down on online gambling hub operators and call-centre scammers. Thailand said all affected government agencies had been ordered to join the crackdown.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office of Thailand, said the agreement reflects the government’s increased efforts to crack down on scams and online gambling under Prime Minister Prayut’s order.
The spokesman said the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society was linking its activities with other government agencies to crack down on call centre gangs and gambling sites. Last year, the cooperation resulted in the arrest of as many as 6,348 suspects in 5,517 cases.
The collaboration between government agencies also led to the closure of 742 gambling establishments in the first three months of the year.
