The now not-so-new Thai government has been pushing for the legalization of casino to reap the ill-gotten gains of the various casinos dotting the Thai border. 8 casinos in Poipet alone and none of them as glamorous as Reno, because no one goes to Poipet for the magic.

Thais love to gamble whether betting on football games, boxing matches, the lottery or playing cards. The nation loves Man United for its winning ability to beat the point spread and rail against Man City’s failure to repeat their crosstown rival’s propensity for victory. Chok dii or good luck is considered as valuable as a good education and Thais go to extraordinary lengths to assure their fortune, such as mystical tattoos and spiritual penis amulets. Many gamblers ask monks to divine numbers for the underground lottery or huay dtai din through an astute regard for how many times a dog wags its tail to the number of eggs a chicken lays. Anything to keep chok raii or bad luck at bay.

It’s estimated that 70% of the adult population gamble. mostly playing pok deng, a simple card game where two cards are dealt and then a third to see who gets closest to nine. Gambling is illegal in Thailand and the police routinely raid villages to arrest small time card sharks. Sometimes with only several hundred baht in the pot. Maybe a little more slides sideways for tea money or sin bon.

Many farangs have witnessed their good girlfriend suddenly becoming more devoted to cards than a Carmelite nun to Jesus and the first signs of this are vanishing possessions. Money from your wallet. The TV and the traditional, “Someone stole my motorcycle.”

Despite this rampant madness the present Thai government is considering the legalization of casinos in Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Pattaya to compete with the Cambodian gaming halls along the border crossings most notably in Poipet. Politicians figure if anyone deserves to bilk the Thai people, then it’s the Thais.

Thai Rak Thai indeed.

My uncle had casinos in the south of France and said no one ever won in the long run.

I discovered that on a disastrous trip to Perlata outside of Barcelona. Lost everything.

All you have to do is see the shoes of the gamblers tramping from Cambodia to know that the house always wins.

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https://www.mangozeen.com/thailand-scores-2-in-corruption.htm