Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has instructed police to seriously crack down on football gambling and debt-collecting violence ahead, during and after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will begin in Russia on June 14.
Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Deputy PrimeMinister General Prawit Wongsuwan has instructed police to seriously crack downon football gambling and debt-collecting violence ahead, during and after the2018 FIFA World Cup, which will begin in Russia on June 14.
According to deputy national police chief Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakan,the police have launched a big campaign to ensure social order during thetournament.
He said about 1,000 websites linked to football betting will be shut down andaround 1,000 “Net Idol” celebrities in Thai social media, who are based acrossthe country and allegedly appear in football-gambling advertisements, will beinvestigated.
If found guilty, they would be charged under Article 12 of the Gambling Act,which says that anyone arranges for or promotes others to gamble shall bepunished with a one-year jail term and/or a 1,000 baht (31.17 USD) fine, headded.
Chalermkiat said police would also try to prevent loan sharks from usingunlawful tactics against borrowers who lose money gambling on World Cupmatches.
Though illegal, football gambling is big business in Thailand.
A survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce forecast 59 billionbaht (1.84 billion USD) in World Cup betting in Thailand this year.
Law enforcement agencies in Thailand are gearing up to fight illegal gamblingoperators ahead of the World Cup. In Bangkok, police said they have arrested763 people in 681 cases of illegal soccer gambling since May 1.
During the 2014 tournament, policearrested more than 5,000 people in connection with football gambling rings.-VNA
Nguyen Trong Tuan and Pham Nguyen Quoc Trung, 12, are representing Vietnam at the sixth Gazprom Football for Friendship International Programme in Moscow, Russia, on June 11.
The much anticipated World Cup 2018, which is due to begin on June 14, is fuelling demand for tours to Russia in Ho Chi Minh City , along with sales of TV sets and related goods.
Football fans crowded the Noi Bai international airport on June 13 morning, waiting to board their planes to Russia, where the 2018 World Cup will be kicked off on June 14.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.