Thai Boxer Sutthiwat Arrested for Promoting Gambling on FB

Thailand is one of the countries where the fight against unlicensed online gambling has been intertwined with talks regarding the potential legalization of casino gaming for years. 

In April, the country located in the heart of Southeast Asia introduced a fresh policy that would deem illegal gambling operations as serious economic crimes.

Between October 2023 and April 2024, authorities announced the blocking of over 25,000 online gambling websites. 

One of the authorities’ latest actions against unauthorized gambling advertisements which are prohibited by Section 12 of the Gambling Act of 1935 was the arrest of a popular Thai boxer known as Sutthiwat on social media. 

The Boxer Confessed to His Wrongdoing

The 30-year-old was targeted by a complex investigation regarding his online activities. 

The investigation was initiated by the Central Investigation Bureau and the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) and focused on the boxing star’s Facebook following consisting of roughly 440,000 people to which Sutthiwat allegedly advertised a series of gambling website links. 

The boxer, who confessed to being the owner of the respective Facebook page and being “paid by the gambling website owner to post advertisements” in his stories received THB1,500 ($45) for each of his posts.

The operation was managed by Police Lieutenant General Jiraphob Bhuridej together with Police Major General Athip Pongsiwapai. 

At the moment, the TCSD is working on gathering all the necessary proof to press official charges against the boxer.

The TCSD, Determined to Combat Digital Crime

The investigation, which is part of a wider crackdown on illegal gambling advertising online initiated by authorities in the country, was conducted with the help of specific forensic methods. 

TCSD officers explained they were able to trace Sutthiwat’s involvement and bring him in for questioning thanks to their active monitoring strategies aimed at online activities. 

Ongoing Efforts  

Authorities are determined to make it crystal clear that any form of gambling promotion is a serious crime in the country. 

They have also asked the public to stay alert and report any suspicious activities to assist them with maintaining law and order.

During the UEFA tournament that ran between June 14 and July 14 and ended with the final between Spain and England in Berlin, the Royal Police in Thailand made as many as 2,600 new arrests tied to illegal online and offline gambling.

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation also launched several campaigns aimed at raising awareness regarding the dangers of betting during the popular tournament.

According to a 2022 survey conducted by the Casino Committee of Thailand, more than 80% of respondents were in favor of legal casinos.