Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Thursday backtracked on his earlier remarks that he believed there were no illegal gambling dens in Bangkok.
Gen Prawit corrected himself after being ridiculed in the media and by the public.
“I didn’t mean that gambling dens do not exist,” he said. “We all know that there are gambling dens but it is the duty of police to eradicate these illicit activities.”
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday set up a panel to probe illegal gambling venues and police yesterday announced the arrest of dozens of people linked to such dens in Bangkok. Deputy Bangkok police chief Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai said 81 gamblers and 13 gambling hosts had been arrested in Chaeng Watthana.
The gambling hosts were each jailed for seven months and fined 15,000…
