Gambling in Bangkok

[alvish]

As far as I know gambling is illegal in Thailand but does any1 know where it might be played "underground."

Has any1 ever been to the Casinos at the Cambodian border (Poipet)

What card games are played in Thailand? Would u find texas holdem poker anywhere?????

[Malky]

I wouldn't bother gambling with the Thais. I've had a couple of football bets with them. The trouble is, when they lose a bet they won't pay up, it's like trying to get blood out of a stone, but when they win they expect you to pay them straight away.

I doubt you will find Texas hold em anywhere in Thailand. The Thais might have there own version of poker but it will probably be with Thai rules that are difficult to follow.

I haven't been to the casinos at Poipet. From what I've heard there are a lot of beggers waiting outside the casino wanting money.

The most popular places for casinos in this part of the world seem to be Macau and the Phillipines.

[TLOS4me]

I've been to Poipet before, dreadful place. I saw on a webpage somewhere that the casinos there had a 10,000 THB buy-in, that is to say you need that amount to get the chips and go have some fun. Don't know if it is true or not, can't believe everything you read on the net, right?

Another 'interesting' feature about Poipet is that once you cross over from Thailand, you have to go all the ways past all of the casinos in order to get stamped into Cambodia. Of course you will need an entry stamp before you can get an exit stamp on your passport in order to return to Thailand. Basically the casinos are in a kind of 'no mans land'.

Then again, if you are truely a gambling addict, there is always the internet!

[alvish]

when they lose a bet they won't pay up, it's like trying to get blood out of a stone, but when they win they expect you to pay them straight away.

Yeah thats 1 thing i've been worrying about since it is illegal you cannot be sure what you are getting yourself into, i'm sure theres a lot of dodgy characters involved.

Basically the casinos are in a kind of 'no mans land'

Yeah the place scares me everytime I went across the border doing VISA runs the beggers were all around me kids holding umbrellas over me and getting mad if I don't pay them, if you pay 1 you have to pay them all (does make you feel guilty but I've been told to just ignore them.) The passport officers aswell blatently steal money from you in front of your eyes, they quoted a price for my VISA run and at the end I was given back 100 baht less, when you question it they pretend they can't speak english anymore.

Done 4 VISA runs everytime i pay different prices from 1300 baht to 1800 baht all you can do is accept what they are doing and get the terrible experience over with. And im near sure the dodgy Marlborough lights bought here have taken at least 3 years off my life.

Sorry gone off the subject a bit.......can any1 tell me if VISA runs to Malaysia are easier I heard they were free.

What about Muay Thai? Will it be safe to have a bet or 2 at the main stadiums meant to do this before but will have to wait again till this May to get the chance.

[thejudgegiles]

Plenty of gambling gaffs in town.... not that I would know....

I actually like card games, but aside from playing then amounst friends... Pahoyotin soi 1 in the basement of the condo at the end of that soi is a good place to play for small money, nice bunch of Thai's who'll raise a glass with westerners there....

..and coincidentlly, I discovered that whilst parking my motorbike there to get a minivan from Vic Monument to Aran... ironic

A place for serious gamblers is on Soi Long Phiya Barn Chao Phraya.... suit required, and western card games played there for big money, police outside, been going for years so far as i know.