Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, says people have provided much information about gambling dens and illegal workers, but the challenge is the lack of evidence.
Gen. Prayut said the government’s 1111 hotline service has received about 200 public complaints about gambling dens and illegal workers, which have been identified as major factors in the spread of COVID-19.
Officials implicated in these illegal activities have been arrested and prosecuted. The government is attentive to the issue, but there must be sufficient evidence to identify the offenders. In addition, it is difficult to take the investigation forward because some complainants don’t want to sign their names on verification documents. Investigation must continue to address all problems in a sustainable way. Anyone involved in gambling dens and illegal workers must be prosecuted.
The Prime Minister said a committee has to study positive and negative aspects of legalizing gambling. Another important issue is whether or not the public will accept it. At present, there are two types of gambling dens. The first is a legalized one, provided with accommodation, meeting rooms and casinos. Such operations have been established in other countries.
They have to make sure that their customers have adequate funds. If it can be legalized, people don’t have to gamble abroad. However, the process of legalizing small gambling dens remains uncertain. The government will have to consider methods and means to address the problem in a sustainable way. Once it is solved, there are still other overlapping problems. The government will have to consider them thoroughly, so that Thailand is on par with other countries. There are many things that need to be adapted. Gen. Prayut said he is still undecided about legalizing gambling, and the study committee is working on it. (NNT)
