Pubdate: Sat, 03 Jan 2004 Source: Nation, The (Thailand) Copyright: 2004 Nation Multimedia Group Contact: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1963 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/thailand BORDER SECURITY: CAMBODIANS CRACK DOWN ON THAIS Travellers Bear Brunt As Irate Officials Retaliate For Anti-Gambling Policy Immigration officials yesterday warned that their counterparts in Cambodia had increased security measures for Thai travellers and were not above arresting them on false drug charges. The Cambodians stepped up security measures in retaliation for measures by Thai immigration officers to make it harder for gamblers to cross the border, said Police Lt-Colonel Suraphan Surakkhaka, from Kabchoeng border checkpoint. Many Thais have been arrested, he said, and Cambodian officials may consider planting drugs on Thais so they can bring false smuggling charges against them. Thai immigration officials recently stepped up security measures aimed at Thais travelling to casinos across the Cambodian border in line with a government crackdown on the practice. In response to this, Cambodia retaliated by enforcing strict measures against visiting Thais. "If brawls occur between Cambodians and Thais across the border, Thais will be at a disadvantage," Suraphan said. There are two casinos in O' Samach, a Cambodian town over the border from Surin's Kabchoeng district, and nine in Poipet, over the border from Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet district. Sources from O' Samach's Royal Hill casino said the owner had fired its Thai manager, Jittichote Churattanaphakdee, and three other Thai staff members. Several employees at the casino said the management had become strict about the punctuality of the Thai staff since the security clampdown by immigration officials. One Thai employee, who identified himself as Saroj, said only 30 per cent of the casino's slot machines were in use because of the lack of customers. He said management might eventually fire all the Thai workers. Lt-General Jongrak Juthanon, commissioner of Provincial Police Bureau 2, which is in charge of provinces along the Cambodian border, said he did not believe the Cambodian casinos would resort to such drastic action. Jongrak said the casinos knew that most of their customers were Thais and they needed Thai employees to communicate with them. "If there are no Thai workers, Thais may not go there to gamble," Jongrak said. Meanwhile Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the problem of underground gambling dens would disappear if the government legalised casinos. "Illegal gambling would automatically decrease after such complexes were opened. This has happened in several countries," Thaksin said. "Don't say that we are a Buddhist country and cannot have casinos." Thaksin said the government could not prevent people from gambling because the penalties were so light. He said the government should do something to get rid of underground dens which paid bribes to the police and protection money to the mafia. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin