Get tough on footy betting

As the World Cup 2022 kicked off in an air-conditioned Qatar stadium on Sunday, so did football betting across Thailand — which, despite being illegal, has unfortunately become a part of the country’s football culture.

Despite the economic malaise, last year about four million Thais spent over 180 million baht on online gambling, most of which was spent on football betting, according to Thanakorn Komkrit, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation.

With the World Cup in full swing, betting is expected to reach new heights. The latest survey carried out by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) estimated the public will spend 75 billion baht as the matches take place between Nov 20 and Dec 18. That said, the survey found only 18 billion baht of this would…