Gambling, other than betting on

horse races Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

or the government-sponsored Thai lottery, is prohibited in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. The prohibition dates back to the Gambling Act 1935. The Playing Cards Act prohibits private ownership of more than 120 playing cards without approval of the government. Nevertheless, illegal gambling in casinos (Thai: บ่อนการพนัน) and other forms of gambling still exist in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

and some provincial towns.Phongpaichit, P., Piriyarangsan, S. Treerat, N. (1998). ''Guns, girls, gambling, ganja: Thailand's Illegal Economy''. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books.

History

Gambling has long been a feature of Thai society. Local Siamese partook in more than 100 well known gambling games.Warren, J.A. (2013) ''Gambling: The State and Society in Thailand, c.1800–1945''. Oxford: Routledge. Some gambling forms such as betting on

cockfights A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a " game", a sport, pastime or ent ...

bullfights Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

and boat races are native to Siamese culture. The late-19th century marked a significant increase in the level of gambling in Siam. People started to gamble more frequently and a variety of games were introduced from foreign traders and immigrants, and gambling started to hit the mainstream. It was during that period that the Huay lottery was introduced from China and became popular in Siam. Over the course of decades the Government of Thailand allowed legal gambling dens. During the reign of King Rama III, the

Government of Thailand The Government of Thailand, or formally the Royal Thai Government ( Abrv: RTG; th, รัฐบาลไทย, , ), is the unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The country emerged as a modern nation state after the foundation of t ...

promoted legal gambling dens as a source of revenue. These legal dens were then closed down to dampen criminal activity and bankruptcy related to gambling. During the reign of

King Rama V Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

gambling was forbidden in the south and all the remaining gambling venues were closed on 1 April 1917. A gambling act was first passed in 1930 and revised in 1935. During the premiership of

Khuang Aphaiwong Khuang Aphaiwong (also spelled ''Kuang'', ''Abhaiwong'', or ''Abhaiwongse''; th, ควง อภัยวงศ์, ; 17 May 1902 – 15 March 1968), also known by his noble title Luang Kowit-aphaiwong ( th, หลวงโกวิทอ� ...

, the ministry of finance was assigned by the government to legalize gambling in Pran Buri District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and became an official promoter of gambling. However, this period of legalization of casinos did not last long. Under attack from the media and public, the government abandoned the attempt to earn additional revenue from casinos and prohibited gambling once again.

Efforts towards legalization

In 2024, lawmakers in Thailand started to back efforts to legalize casino gambling in the country, claiming that casino resorts could generate up to $12 billion in tourism revenue. The legalization of casino gambling would expand gambling beyond horse racing. It is hoped that legalization would curtail illicit gambling while increasing revenue for the economy. The

Prime Minister of Thailand The prime minister of Thailand ( th, นายกรัฐมนตรี, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed si ...

, Srettha Thavisin also backs the efforts, stating that it would create jobs and help the economy. Las Vegas Sands has publicly expressed interest in the Thai market. The Thai government is planning to propose that casino space take up no more than 5% of the space in any

integrated resort An integrated resort (IR) is a major resort property that includes a hotel with a casino, together with convention facilities, entertainment shows, theme parks, luxury retail and fine dining. The term is largely Singaporean. Earlier IR lice ...

or complex that is built which includes a casino.

Forms of gambling

Casinos

Despite laws against gambling, illegal casinos are widespread in Thailand. The first large-scale gambling houses were established in

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...

by the government in the late-17th century or early-18th century as a result of the steady growth of Chinese population. During the 19th century the number of gambling houses grew in tandem with the population of Chinese immigrants. To promote the settlement and taxation of the Chinese population in Thailand, the Thai government turned a blind eye to gambling among Chinese immigrants. As a result of this inadvertent endorsement, local Siamese were encouraged to gamble as well. After the gambling act was first passed in 1930 casinos were banned completely and gambling was prohibited in Thai society.

Lottery

The lottery was introduced to Thailand by Chinese immigrants in 1820. Commonly known to the local as "huay", the term is a direct translation of Chinese word ''huā'' (Chinese:花) :

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

. In the beginning ''huay'' was mainly played among the community of Chinese immigrants in Thailand. It was then officially established during the reign of King Rama III to stimulate the circulation of currency as well as to generate national revenue.

Government lottery

In the reign of

King Rama VI Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his effort ...

, the government introduced lottery draws as a device for tax collection. In 1939 the government of Field Marshal

Plaek Phibunsongkhram Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล � ...

set up the Lottery Bureau to organize a regular monthly draw in Thailand. It was then extended to twice a month in 1989. Draws normally happen twice a month on the 1st and 16th. There are a total of 38 million tickets per round. 28 percent of the sales value of the lottery ticket is retained as government revenue, 12 percent in administration and management and 60 percent is returned to players as prizes.

Gambling on sport

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

betting is the most recent form of illegal gambling in Thailand. As a result of technological advancements such as online transactions, satellite TV, Internet, and mobile phone betting systems, football gambling has become widespread among Thais. During the

2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

, over 1,700 people were arrested for gambling offences.

Online gambling

Online gambling is illegal in Thailand. In 2020, as a part of a campaign against online casinos, the

Ministry of Digital Economy and Society The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society ( Abrv: MDES; th, กระทรวงดิจิทัลเพื่อเศรษฐกิจและสังคม, ), formerly known as the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology ...

began to cooperate with other state agencies to block websites that provide such services. According to the ministry, more than 1 billion baht ($32 million) pass through these sites every year. During a raid in October 2020, the largest group of people in the history of the country, who owned an online casino, was arrested. According to the head of the national police, the group used 38 bank accounts, spending through them at least 15 billion

baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...

($480m). Later on, 190 websites were blocked, mostly online casinos and porn sites, including Pornhub. This ban sparked a wave of protests and accusations of censorship.

Social issues

Thai society has long frowned on gambling. In

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

, gambling is one of four vices which lead to ruin. In Thai, this concept is known as ''abaiyamuk'' (อบายมุข), the "portals of hell". For the layperson, gambling is something to be avoided if one wishes to be free from suffering. Thai people often cite an old proverb: "Ten burglaries leave you with a house, ten fires leave you with a land, but gambling once leave you nothing." ( th, โจรปล้น 10 ครั้ง ยังเหลือบ้าน ไฟไหม้บ้าน 10 ครั้ง ยังเหลือที่ดิน เล่นการพนันครั้งเดียว ไม่เหลืออะไรสักอย่าง) which reflects the variety of social problems associated with gambling in Thai culture. This may include violent crime, financial problems, and addiction. Despite the prohibition, gambling still remains a major part of Thai life. Thais often gamble in various ceremonies and festivals. According to Alan Klima's study of funeral casinos in present-day Thailand, gambling is used as an attraction for people to keep the deceased spirit company. There are only a few psychological services available to those addicted, such as Ministry of Public Health's Center of Gambling Studies. For Thais, gambling—including lotteries, casinos, football betting and other variants—are viewed as entertainment. Very few seek treatment from medical professionals as Thais often view gambling as a social problem rather than a medical issue.

References

External links

The Government Lottery Office
{{Thailand topics Culture of Thailand Law of Thailand