DOCSLIB.ORG

Governor Leads Delegation to 'Sister'city Nice Mr Mont Blanc

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Governor Leads Delegation to 'Sister'city Nice Mr Mont Blanc ANDAMAN Edition Volume 17 Issue 29 July 17 - 23, 2010 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht Phuket rescue Mr Mont Blanc workers strike Drug tests, corruption allegations at center of dispute By Pimwara Choksakulpan TOP-LEVEL management of the Phuket branch of the Kusoldharm Foundation met on Wednesday to negotiate a settlement to a nasty dispute over a number of issues facing the rescue-worker organi- zation, the largest and best-funded charity on the island. Relations between management and staff appear to have taken a turn for the worse three months ago following the re-installment of Benjawan Tamphanuwat as presi- dent. Mrs Benjawan, who held the presidency from 2000 to 2002, ordered mandatory drug testing GET OUT! Protesters were clear about their demands. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo for all foundation workers follow- had been building among the They used foundation rescue ing the July 11 arrest of one organization’s 60 to 70 salaried vehicles and displayed a coffin and volunteer on drug charges. employees and 300 volunteers. cloth banner that read: “We don’t The volunteers said the drug On July 12, some 50 founda- want a president or manager who testing, to be carried out at the tion workers, mostly from Patong, ignores the foundation’s work” foundation offices and overseen staged a strike and protest, charg- and “We don’t want a cheat for a by police and public health offi- ing the organization’s management president”. cials, would be unfair. with misuse of funds and demand- Mrs Benjawan was unable to FLYING THE FLAG: Long-time Phuket resident Les Bird flies the Thai They refused to be tested and ing their immediate dismissal. confront her detractors directly at flag atop Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe. Les and climbing demanded that any testing be car- At 9am the protesters blocked the time as she had left for partner Harry Taylor reached the summit onJuly 10, to raise money for ried out in a hospital. the entrance to the foundation’s Bangkok that morning. children under the care of the Child Watch Phuket foundation. The incident seemed to trigger offices on Phoon Phon Rd Sois 7 The protesters also called for See pages 4 and 5 for the full story on how Les conquered the a release of pent-up tension that and 9. Continued on Page 2 mountain and his next breath-taking challenge: swimming the Solent. Governor leads delegation to ‘sister’city Nice By Stephen Fein from Rudy Salles, Nice Deputy Mayor in leaders can learn some useful community Nice is a major yachting destination in and Sittipong Nongkaew charge of international relations. development strategies during the trip,” said the French Riviera and Phuket has similar On the tour agenda are discussions on Governor Wichai. ambitions in Thailand’s Andaman Coast re- PHUKET Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop ways of improving cooperation in areas In a bid to lure French investors, the gion, he said. will lead a delegation of government offi- such as trade, tourism, education and cul- delegation will deliver information about in- Phuket maintains “sister city” status with cials and private sector representatives to tural exchange. vestment opportunities in Phuket tourism, a number of cities around the world: Nice, France to discuss ways of improv- The two “cities” have been twinned since real estate, restaurant and marina industries. Nakhodka in Russia’s Far East; Yantai and ing links between the two tourist destina- the signing of a Memorandum of Under- Bhuritt Maswongsa, vice president for Hainan in China; and Port Blair, India. tions, which have been “sister cities” for standing in 1989. marketing at the Phuket Tourist Associa- Although the two would seem to have more than two decades. “This is a good time to visit Nice again. tion (PTA), said the delegation stands to little in common, Phuket City also main- The visit, from July 16 to 23, follows Phuket and Nice are similar in that they are learn a great deal from Nice, especially in tains the sibling status with Las Vegas, receipt on July 9 of a letter of invitation both tourist destinations. I hope that our regard to marina management. Nevada. From THB From THB From THB * 3,737* * - Return flight to Penang + Hotel Fly Firefly from Phuket 3,610 2D1N 3D2N 6,155 3D2N - Per PAX based on TWIN share Penang Fly & Penang Beach to Penang, Malaysia Getaway @ Penang Beach More packages at Cruise @ Star Flamingo by the Getaway @ Grab these holiday packages from Pisces Hard Rock Hotel www.fireflyholiday.com beach Penang Penang - 4 Star Firefly Holiday * Prices shown are based on low season. Subject to availability. - 4 Star Terms and conditions apply. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS July 17 - 23, 2010 Old Phuket Town to Samui oil rig plan draws fire Koh Samui residents object to new resume cable project oil rig too close to their shores. By Atchaa Khamlo Page 7 and Stephen Fein Medical tourism HAVING passed the public hear- Some Phuket tourists ing process with almost unanimous like being a cut above, approval, the second phase of the project to bury electric cables in literally. Page 11 Old Phuket Town will get under- way in August, with completion On the Menu scheduled for March 2011. Chef Nathan Chilcott The project contractor will have 240 days to complete the raises the bar at the 57.4-million-baht project, which Sand Box. Page 15 will cover: 250 meters of Krabi Rd, between Yaowarat Rd and Satun Rd; 250m of Dibuk Rd, between Property Yaowarat Rd and Satun Rd; New Urbanism arrives Phuket Rd, from Thalang Rd to Famed Soi Romannee is already looking cleaner. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo Aram Bridge; and Thepkrasattri in Phuket, via 2-billion- Rd, from the bridge at Taewnam Cable television operators will more than two decades. baht project. Page 23 Intersection to Thalang Rd. be called on to share in the ex- Singha Lumkaew, 25, of Phuket City Municipality has pense of installing a cable to Wanchan Restaurant, said, “It agreed to use smaller, more flex- continue providing services to makes more people visit the area Classifieds ible wire than that used in the first subscribers in the area. and come into the restaurant. The Everything you need at prices you phase, which covered the west Most people living and running road also looks better.” end of Thalang Rd and Soi businesses on Thalang Rd ex- Although pleased with the can afford, from jobs to homes. Romannee, and to have the above- pressed satisfaction with the first project, Old Phuket Town Foun- Pages 29-40 ground lengths cables painted to phase project, which took six dation President Dr Prasit Sport match the homes they run along. months in the latter half of 2009 Koeysiripong pointed out that bud- A secondary budget of 11.7 mil- to complete. getary and technical constraints FC Phuket shoots for lion baht has been allocated to “The road looks clear and tidy. meant that the cables had to come promotion; Phuket 7s; improving the phone network in It would be good if they could do out of the ground and be con- the area: 8 million baht for TOT; this over the whole island,” said nected to one house, then to up to Hash House Harriers on 1.24 million baht for TT&T; and Marium Yomdee, 47, who has run six others through a cable running the run. Pages 39-40 2.5 million baht for CAT Telecom. the Ban Thalang clothes store for along the face of each building. City police arrest Rescue volunteers strike out From page 1 the resignation of Foundation confessed rapist Manager Banyong Sirisoonthorn- wong, charging him with PHUKET City Police have an- self-serving practices. nounced the arrest of a Wichit man Mr Banyong was also unavail- who has confessed to raping a able at the time as he was busy young woman at gunpoint and transporting a cadaver off the is- then stealing her computer. land. The protesters alleged he was The suspect was identified as using his own vehicle and charg- Phuket resident Wuttikrai “Nueng” ing above the standard seven baht Prasopsorn, 25. per kilometer for the delivery. On the night of June 29, the To try and end the protest, victim reported that a man entered Wuttikrai ‘Nueng’ Prasopsorn, 25. Phuket City Police Superintendent her rented room with a gun and the case at Phuket City Police Sta- Wanchai Ekpornpit met protesters raped her. The rapist then stole the tion. Police on July 8 arrested Mr and a foundation vice-president, Provincial Hall official Wigrom Jaktee talks to protesters. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo victim’s laptop computer before Wuttikrai, a van driver for a com- but to no avail, as the workers con- leaving the room. pany in Wichit. After his arrest at tinued the protest until nightfall. hold foundation principles. As ex- crash helmets to the Phuket City After the assault, the victim the company offices, Mr Wuttikrai Protesters on July 12 accused amples, they cited her refusal to Police road safety campaign. managed to escape and reported confessed to all charges. Mrs Benjawan with failure to up- authorize a request to donate 300 Mrs Benjawan also ordered volunteers to stop performing im- portant public service work such as helping animals that fall into canals or removing the carcasses of dead animals from roadways, they said. At the time of going to press Mrs Benjawan had been unavail- able for comment. The protesters also alleged that the foundation’s management committee spent millions of baht on unnecessary equipment while denying requests for urgently needed equipment such as first aid kits and stretchers.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Thaksin Shinawatra Introduced a Proposal to Legalize the Business and Bring It Under Government Control
    Legalizing the Underground Lottery in Thailand: An Idea Time Whose Had Come? Kasemsarn Chotchakornpant* เกษมศานต โชติชาครพันธุ For decades, “underground” gambling based on the last two or three digits of the government lottery enjoyed widespread popularity among the general Thai public. With an estimated 51 percent of the population over 15 years of age participating as active as players in 2001, underground gambling sites were widespread, operating the length and breadth of country in nearly every hamlet village, town, and city. It was an illegal business that generated in the shadow or “informal economy” a huge amount of cash flow – e.g., an economic value of nearly 16 times that of the official government-run lottery. It was against this background that underground gambling attracted the interest and policy deliberations of the Thai government in early 2003. Specifically, in July 2003, the then two-year-old government * This case study was written by Dr. Kasemsarn Chotchakornpant, Lecturer in the Graduate School of Public Administration at the National Institute of Development Administration (Thailand), and is based on archival research. NIDA cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion, and are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective administrative or managerial practice. Copyright © 2008 National Institute of Development Administration and Dr. Kasemsarn. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 02-727-3858 or go to http://gspa.nida.ac.th. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the permission of the National Institute of Development Administration.
    [Show full text]
  • Debt Beyond Borders
    Lund University Master of Science in International Development and Management August 2019 Debt Beyond Borders Exploring how migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand perceive loans and debt, and how these perceptions link with the migrants’ borrowing behaviour Author: Natasha Maria Lund Andersen Supervisor: Christopher Mathieu Abstract In a time where concern over migrant indebtedness as a cross-cutting development issue is growing around the world, this paper sets out to explore how migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand perceive loans and debt, and how these perceptions may link with the migrants’ borrowing behaviour. Despite the prominence of the Myanmar-Thai migration corridor and evidence that indebtedness is common amongst Myanmar migrants, research and reliable data on the topic remain scarce, ultimately constituting a barrier to evidence-based interventions and policy-making. As a contribution towards filling this knowledge gap, the present study has interviewed 35 migrant workers from Myanmar to qualitatively explore how they understand and experience loans and debt, as well as investigate how these perceptions may link with their borrowing behaviour. Through an inductive, phenomenologically-inspired research design and guided by Applied Thematic Analysis, the study has identified commonalities between the interviewees’ perceptions and found indications of links between the articulated perceptions and reported borrowing behaviour. To further explore this relationship, the study has employed insights from Social Cognition Theory and two social cognition models, namely the Health Belief Model and the Model of Social Cognitive Theory, to propose a model of the relationship between perceptions and borrowing behaviour. Key words: Debt, Loans, Migration, Development, Myanmar, Thailand, Perceptions, Borrowing Behaviour, Social Cognition Theory, Social Cognition Models Word Count: 14,991 Acknowledgements This thesis belongs to the 35 remarkable women and men who took part in the study.
    [Show full text]
  • Tourists' Satisfaction Levels on Destination Facilites of Phuket and Thier Potential Interest in Casino Gambling
    Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses 1999 Tourists' satisfaction levels on destination facilites of Phuket and thier potential interest in casino gambling Narathip Naina Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Naina, Narathip, "Tourists' satisfaction levels on destination facilites of Phuket and thier potential interest in casino gambling" (1999). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TOURISTS' SATISFACTION LEVELS ON DESTINATION FACILITIES OF PHUKET AND THEIR POTENTIAL INTEREST IN CASINO GAMBLING By Narathip Naina (Gong) A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty Of The School of Food, Hotel and Travel Management At Rochester Institute of Technology In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science August, 1999 ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHONOLOGY Department of Hospitality and Service Management Graduate Studies M.S. Hospitality-Tourism Presentation of ThesislProject Findings Name: Narathip Naina Date: August, 31, 1999 SS# _ Title of Research: Tourists' Satisfaction Levels on Destination Facilities of Phuket and Their Potential interest in Casino Gambling Specific Recommendations: (use other side if necessary) Thesis Committee: (l) _-----'P....,r'_"'o"'-'f.'--"E~d::.;w:.:..a."r'_"'d'_=S::..:t~ef~f~en'_'_'s"_ _ (2) Dr. Edward Stockham OR (3) _~P~r~ofo!c:..--!W~arr~e~n~S~ac~k~le~r _ Faculty Advisor: _ Number of Credits Approved: 6 credits Q U/4are Committee Chairperson's Signature Date Department Chairperson's Signature Note: This form will not be signed by the Department Chairperson until all corrections, as suggested in the specific recommendations (above) are completed.
    [Show full text]
  • Summaries of Foreign Researchers' Reports Ø ÷Ü Îÿøðñúö Øüý
    Summaries of Foreign Researchers’ Reports 0?/?&70E()2?04A>/:&>4A>/?4"4 Compiled By The Office of the National Research Council of Thailand Quotation of any part of this document for reference or for reprinting is permitted on condition that the publisher’s name, the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), appears on the credit line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– [^^\ CQ2E(I(<-6$2-6>16 +DQ)+4L85IA!?0&V?M(L5K8J4 I0D4?/?04A>/L&0=!>' .>44?I:7?0&BR=I(<K8"4:8&4/&>4A>$ 24/&>4A>/?4 "4$5 +DQ:L5)A>2V$A5$A>/"4:/:!"4 (58+$8E$%A+ A""8A-+) 2%A?0 =00.?04A>/J84?"A Foreword The Office of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) has permitted foreign researchers to conduct research in Thailand since B.E.
    [Show full text]
  • Gambling, the State and Society in Siam, C. 1880-1945
    Gambling, the State and Society in Siam, c. 1880-1945 James Alastair Warren School of Oriental and African Studies A thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of London 2007 ’ i ^ L’A 1 A ProQuest Number: 10672983 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10672983 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 3 Abstract This study charts the evolution of government attitudes and policies towards gambling in Siam between the 1880s and 1945. Based on the assertion that gambling was a social evil that impoverished the population, encouraged crime, and retarded economic development, successive regimes sought to reduce and regulate the scope for legal gambling. This was expressed most concretely through a series of increasingly restrictive and punitive laws, which prohibited many popular forms of gambling and subjected others to strict licensing. Consequently, there was an increase in illegal gambling. In essence, gambling went from being a state acceptable activity to one that was criminal unless conducted within certain strict parameters.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the Impact of Gambling with Special Reference to Thailand
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by University of Birmingham Research Archive, E-theses Repository UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF GAMBLING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THAILAND by VISANU VONGSINSIRIKUL A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Economics Birmingham Business School The University of Birmingham March 2010 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis mainly consists of three empirical chapters related to understanding the characteristics, economic impact and the demand for gambling in Thailand. Beginning with a review of the theoretical and empirical literature, this confirms that socio-economic and demographic data are important determinants of the level of gambling participation and gambling expenditure. A Logit model is then used to estimate the participation of gambling. The results suggest that the number games, such as the government lottery, the underground lottery, are popular among old gamblers whereas football betting is popular for adolescents. In the past, most casino customers were old gamblers, but at present the number of young gamblers who participate in casino has considerably increased.
    [Show full text]
  • OF WAT MATCHIMAWAT (WAT KLANG), SONGKHLA PROVINCE, THAILAND by Pensuda Chounchaisit a Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of
    THE STUDY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT OF WAT MATCHIMAWAT (WAT KLANG), SONGKHLA PROVINCE, THAILAND By Pensuda Chounchaisit A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism (International Program) Graduate School SILPAKORN UNIVERSITY 2007 PDF Creator - PDF4Free v2.0 http://www.pdf4free.com The Graduate School, Silpakorn University has approved and accredited the Thesis title of “The Study of Cultural Heritage Management of Wat Matchimawat (Wat Klang), Songkhla Province, Thailand” submitted by Ms. Pensuda Chounchaisit as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism. …………………………………………… (Associate Professor Sirichai Chinatangkul, Ph.D.) Dean, Graduate School …………./ …………………../ …………. The Thesis Advisor Professor Ken Taylor The Thesis Examination Committee …………………………………………………. Chairman (Professor Trungjai Buranasomphob, Ph.D.) …………./ ……………………/ …………. …………………………………………………. Member (Assistant Professor Chaiyasit Dankittikul, D.E.D.) …………./ …………………../ …………. …………………………………………………. Member (Professor Ken Taylor) …………./ …………………../ …………. PDF Creator - PDF4Free v2.0 http://www.pdf4free.com 45056960: MAJOR: ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT AND TOURISM KEYWORD: CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT, WAT MATCHIMAWAT PENSUDA CHOUNCHAISIT: THE STUDY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT OF WAT MATCHIMAWAT (WAT KLANG), SONGKHLA PROVINCE, THAILAND. THESIS ADVISOR: PROF. KEN TAYLOR. 171 pp. This study
    [Show full text]
  • July 25, 2015
    PhuketGazette.net PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 PhuketGazette July 25 - 31, 2015 Now inside THE NATION every Saturday 68 Pages / 20 Baht ‘BOOZE BAN NOT AS SWEEPING AS FEARED’ Mum of dead 7-year-old seeks justice THE mother of the 7-year- New law old girl who was killed after their pick-up truck crashed into a Phuket sinkhole con- only effects tinues to demand justice, as well as 10 million baht in compensation for the tragic businesses accident last year. 300m from Full story Page 3 technical BUSINESS colleges, universities Kata Group Resorts readies for listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Establishments within 300 meters of universities will be prohibited from selling alcohol to combat underage drinking. Photo: Chutharat Plerin PROPERTY Mr Hughes says that there are other numbers than property value to crunch. By Kongleaphy Keam hundreds of tourism-related businesses of In Phuket, there are 106 primary educa- LIFE&STYLE alcohol-sales licences due to their prox- tional institutions, four technical colleges A COLLECTIVE sigh of relief could be imity to schools on the island. and two universities, as well as 122 private heard from Phuket officials as clarifica- “I am worried about the definition of schools that are not included in the system, tion of a national alcohol-sales ban ‘educational institutions’. I hope it will be according to the Phuket Primary Educa- officially arrived this week. clarified exactly which types of schools tional Service Area Office. The ban, passed by the Cabinet and fall under that definition,” said Mr Pairuch The clarification made it official that signed into law by Prime Minister Gen ahead of the official announcement.
    [Show full text]
  • Enhancing Critical Thinking of Undergraduate Thai Students Through Dialogic Inquiry Maliwan Buranapatana
    Enhancing Critical Thinking of Undergraduate Thai Students through Dialogic Inquiry Maliwan Buranapatana A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Languages, International Studies and Tourism The University of Canberra, Australia March 2006 ii iii Abstract This thesis sets for itself the task of testing the viability of a dialogic model of learning as a methodology for teaching critical thinking in reading and writing to undergraduate students of Thai in Thailand. To this end, we conducted an experiment involving twenty-one undergraduate students of Thai at KhonKaen University, Thailand. This study presents the intellectual background of the pedagogic framework supporting the experiment and a discussion of its outcomes. The assessment of the results of the experiment focuses on the forms of evidence resulting directly from this pedagogic framework. The study concludes with a number of considerations for future research in critical thinking which our project helped us to identify. For the purpose of our work, we adopt the model of dialogic learning which involves students in looking for perspectives enabling them to challenge, and as a result to enhance, the relevance of the understandings in which they frame their interactions. The process is dialogic because it involves students in working with different points of view by identifying challenging perspectives, constructing conflicting arguments and exploring the strategic potential that the interaction of these arguments may have on the students’ initial assumptions. In this sense, the concept of dialogue that we use refers to the methodology of students’ inquiry (learning), rather than a specific form of linguistic genre.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloadable Applications Middle Class Is Growing Quickly
    March 2008 • MOP 30 Moving with Mocha Charting the evolution of Macau’s nascent slot market Online Gaming in Focus: Perfect Storm Seeing is Believing Building Asian Appeal In-Flight Gambling: Mile High Club Elixir’s Stellar Commitment RFID: The Need for Speed 6 CONTENTS March 2008 Moving with Mocha 6 Moving with Mocha 14 Mile High Club 18 Perfect Storm 25 Building Asia Appeal 28 The Need for Speed 34 Stellar Commitment 36 Seeing is Believing 40 Regional Briefs 42 International Briefs 45 Sparkling Display 48 Events Calendar 18 14 MobileMobile GamingGaming 2 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | March 2008 March 2008 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 3 Editorial Surprise Turn in the Revenue Race Fickle weather could not cool the ardour for chasing fickle fortune in Macau. From mid-January, China suffered its severest winter weather in fifty years, with snow storms paralysing large parts of the country. In such conditions, it can be difficult to muster the will to step out of home for non-essential purposes. Yet crowds of mainland Chinese did just that to make their way to Macau. Visitor arrivals from China rose 23% year-on-year in January, and the city’s casino revenue for the month reached a new all-time high of 10.43 billion patacas (US$1.3 billion)—a whopping 70% year-on-year increase. If the January performance is sustained, Macau will continue its climb up the international casino performance leaderboard. Macau grabbed international headlines when, in 2006, its casino revenue overtook that of the fabled Las Vegas Strip. As Macau left the Vegas Strip in the dust, the next logical rival to pit it against in a casino revenue race—a totally arbitrary construct, designed to feed the hunger for headlines supporting the Macau hype—was all of Clark County, encompassing El Rancho the Strip, downtown Las Vegas and other southern Nevada cities.
    [Show full text]
  • Betting the Farm
    Betting the farm Published: 20 Oct 2013 at 00.00 Newspaper section: Spectrum Whether it's an agreement that the loser buys the next round before the billiard balls are broken, a Super Bowl or FA Cup office pool, or practising your poker face during a game of Texas hold'em with the guys, gambling is well integrated into the fabric of societies around the world. While betting a little money during any of these pastimes can add a bit of excitement to a sporting or recreational event, they are all illegal in Thailand. Loser buys the drinks? In Thailand, even the winner can go to jail. Gambling in Thailand is regulated by the Gambling Act BE 2478 (1935) with accompanying amendments that stopped in 1962. ''Gambling'' is not actually defined in the Act itself, but is instead described in the Royal Institute Dictionary BE 2542 (1999) as a game of wagering for money or valuable things by chance or intelligence. This definition is very broad, and the specific list of prohibited gambling activities has not been updated since Maverick was playing blackjack on steamboats. However, not all forms of gambling are illegal. Domestic horse racing and the national lottery are both government-sanctioned and are legal for the public. Horse racing in Thailand dates back to 1897. When King Rama V returned from Europe, after having attended various races, he bestowed land for the first race course, which became the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. One Sunday every month, this track and the Royal Turf Club of Thailand each host a horse racing event where Thais and foreigners alike can wager on their steeds.
    [Show full text]
  • The Legalization of Gambling in Thailand: a Revisited Discourse In
    1 Lund University Center for East and Southeast Asian Studies Masters Program in Asian Studies Fall Semester 2004 ************ THE LEGALIZATION OF GAMBLING IN THAILAND: A REVISITED DISCOURSE IN LIGHT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ************ “‘You’ve been insensible,’” he remarked. ‘You’ve not only renounced life, your own interests and those of society, your duty as a man and a citizen, your friends (and you did have them, all the same) – you’ve not only renounced every aim whatever in life, except winning at roulette – you have even renounced your memories. I remember you at a passionate and intense period in your life; but I am sure you have forgotten all the best influences of that time; your dreams, your most urgent present desires…” “‘Stop, Mr. Astley, please, please don’t remind me,’ I cried, stung and almost angry; ‘let me tell you I’ve forgotten nothing at all; I’ve only driven it all out of my head, even my memories, for the time being, until I have radically altered my circumstances… then, you will see, I shall rise from the dead!’” - from The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky Author: Anabela Voi You Supervisor: Stefan Eklöf 2 Abstract This research article addresses the discourse of the legalization of gambling in Thailand. Methodologically this article is a qualitative case study. It delves into the socio- economic and political issues behind the dispute of legalizing gambling. A brief comparison between Thailand and other countries’ handling of the problem of legalized gambling will be discussed. The institutional background and economic structure of the Thai gambling industry are perspectives from which this paper will mostly focus on.
    [Show full text]