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4 March 2011
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A DAY AT THE RACES swedish community dismayed by latest clampdown
HUA HIN THAILAND Saturday evenings for many Swedish expats and tourists in Hua Hin have traditionally been a time to go to one of a few bars and restaurants in town that show the highly popular V75 horse racing live from Sweden. Last Saturday was no exception, and the venues showing the racing were full with people eating, drinking and watching and cheering as their favourite picks won or placed. Many of those present have online accounts in Sweden through which they place bets on the races in Swedish Crowns, and naturally they want to know if they have won or lost and will write down the results during the evening. Last Saturday this practice nearly landed the customers in one of the venues in hot water, as it was raided by a group of ten police. It is believed the raid was as a result of a ‘tip off’. As most readers will know, gambling is illegal in Thailand, except for the state lottery. Even pool tables in bars are regarded as potential gambling instruments and thus the bars who have them have to pay to be able to have them. Many of the people watching the horse racing have done so for many years in Hua Hin without any problem, and we are sure many have won and lost Swedish Crowns doing so. There are many online bookmakers and national lotteries that people across the world use to wager money, and the question is whether placing such a bet, in another currency that is transferred outside of Thailand but while the individual is in Thailand, breaks Thailand’s gambling laws. As far as the police who raided the premises last Saturday are concerned, it does, and it was only the intervention of the venue owner that prevented mass arrests. All that could be seen in this instance was a group of people watching a TV CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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