Thailand's Ministry of Interior recently reported their intentions to decrease the number of hours for cross border transfers. Thais can cross the Thai-Cambodian border, and mainly go there to gamble. The top reason behind this is to control the amount of money Thai gamblers spend in casinos over the borders.
Currently, the border checkpoint is in the district of Aranyaprathet. The checkpoint operates between 7am to 8pm. The ministry wants to reduce this time frame to 7:30am-5pm. This will allow Thais in Aranyaprathet, a city in country, to gamble here instead of Cambodia's Poi Pet. The Thai government is seeking to regulate the money going out, and promote money coming in, if even promoting gambling at all.
Bumrung Lorcharoenwattanachai, Sa Kaeo Chamber of Commerce Chairman, said the decrease gambling in Poi Pet Casinos is not a good idea. Revenues from trade, exports and tourism, are encouraged by the current time frame. Unrelated to gambling, if things are change other imports and exports will be hurt by this. A small move for the better in gambling may not be a better move for the entire county other border finances. |
