Is Online Gambling Legal in Thailand?

Although Thai people love to gamble and there are numerous underground casinos and betting shops all over the country, almost all forms of gambling are against the law. Only exceptions to this rule are the national lottery and betting on horses on a few tracks. Other than that, you won’t find many legal opportunities to quench your gaming thirst in the country.

When it comes to online gambling, this area isn’t specifically covered by the country’s laws. However, playing online does fall under the general category of gambling and is, therefore, illegal. Yet, there are many foreign online casinos and betting sites who happily accept Thai players and even process deposits, wagers, and withdrawals in Thai bahts.

Between Law and Customs

While gambling may be illegal in Thailand by the strict letter of law, people continue to bet on sports and play all sorts of games in numerous underground clubs and parlors. The police are largely closing their eyes and let these things happen as there are so many Thai people who enjoy an occasional gamble that it would be virtually impossible to fully enforce the gambling ban.

Instead, the government primarily focuses on large betting operations and their actions are mostly targeted at bookmakers and organizers. Punters are left alone for the most part. In the event one is caught gambling illegally, they can expect to face a fine of up to 1,000 baht and up to one year in prison although the latter is very rare.

Online Gambling Options in Thailand

When it comes to online gambling, players are pretty much safe and free to do what they want. While it is still technically illegal to place wager with offshore operators, it’s not like the police are going door to door breaking into private apartments to find people playing slots or betting sports on their phones and computers.

The biggest challenge for Thai players is actually finding a reputable and trustworthy site to play with. Luckily, there are several websites who list trustworthy online casinos available to users from Thailand. If you want to find out more, you can visit Asiancasinoreviews.com for a list of trusted brands.

You’ll find that many of these sites accept deposits in Thai baht and allow you to use banking methods that are popular and readily available in the country. This is likely to make your gaming experience much smoother and more enjoyable as you’ll avoid various transfer and conversion fees and will know exactly what amount of money you have to play with.

Other than this, a majority of Thailand-facing online casinos offer a solid selection of games for all tastes and many of them feature nice bonuses to give you more playtime and some extra chances to hit a big win. So, take your time to pick the right site for you and make most out of your money.

All in all, online gambling in Thailand may technically be illegal but there are plenty of options out there if you have your mind set on it. Given the current situation in the country, you’re probably best off keeping your gaming habits to yourself and not make it a public knowledge but other than that, you should be perfectly fine.