Poker Writer
The Sports Authority of Thailand officially recognized poker as a sport on Tuesday at a press conference held by the Thailand Poker Association.
The President of the Thailand Poker Association, Latthasanya Piensomphan, was grateful to the government for the recognition of poker as a strategic sport that requires analytical skills rather than just gambling. The recognition will allow Thailand to host poker events such as the barrier-breaking WPT Thailand scheduled for 2025 in an exhibition format, and will also expose the country’s 71 million residents to poker in a more visible fashion than ever before.
The decision to classify poker as a sport in Thailand is a victory for poker as a whole. Other major Asian countries continue to debate the merits of poker as a sport vs a game of chance. That includes India, now the world’s most populous country since 2023.
Thailand’s decision goes hand-in-hand with the International Mind Sport Association’s decision to classify poker as a mind sport.
Hosting global poker tournaments in Thailand, like the WPT Exhibition from July 30 to August 5, is expected to generate up to $30 million (1 billion Baht) in revenue for the country. It will also create as many as 1,500 jobs to help Thailand drive its economy through sports and tourism, with poker falling in the category of sports.
Punnat Punsri as National Sports Hero
Piensomphan praised the success of Thai poker players in international competition, especially standout player Punnat Punsri.
Punsri is one of the best tournament players in the world and a regular in the Triton High Roller Series. Last year, he was at one point the top-ranked player in the Global Poker Index (GPI), and is currently #5. He has over $25 million in career earnings, according to the Card Player Database.
By bringing international recognition to his country, Punsri may be a large part of the reason the government has softened its position. By embracing poker as a sport, the country can position Punsri as a national sports hero.
The only thing the 28-year-old from Bangkok is missing is a WSOP gold bracelet. He came close to winning his first at this summer’s series with two third-place finishes. If he is able to hit that milestone soon, he will become just the third Thai player to have a bracelet. The first was Nat Koe with a win in 2000, just before the poker boom. The second, and only one in the modern era of the series, came this year. Las Vegas resident and Thai citizen Veerachai Vongxaiburana won the 2025 Big O Championship.
With poker now being considered a sport, Punsri joins the ranks of other prominent Thai competitors in individual sports. Thailand currently boasts the 3rd-ranked badminton player in the world in Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who won silver at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Thailand also has back-to-back gold medals in women’s taekwondo, as Panipak Wongpattanakit took first at the 2020 Olympics and defended her title last year.
Looking at more mainstream sports, we have to go back a little further. Tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan became one of the most famous Thai athletes ever in the early 2000s, reaching a career high ATP ranking of #9 in world, with five career titles and fourth-round appearances at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
