Poker Writer
The Thailand Parliament’s choice of Anutin Charnvirakul as its new Prime Minister is seen by pundits as a setback for the country’s attempts to legalize casinos. The selection was made last Friday, but interrupts efforts that had been made by the previous Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to advance gambling legislation. That included the recent declaration of poker as a game of skill, paving the path for a WPT Thailand stop.
Poker has become a hot topic in Thailand thanks to the success of local hero Punnat Punsri on the felt.
Incoming Prime Minister Charnvirakul is a businessman and the third Thai Prime Minister in two years. That period has been a volatile one for the Southeast Asian country, and the turmoil shows no signs of abating. A constitutional court removed Shinawatra last week amid an ethical scandal related to a border dispute with neighboring Cambodia.
The turmoil is seen as a blow to the progress of a trend toward liberalization on gambling that had otherwise been gaining momentum. The previous Prime Minister had been in favor of an Entertainment Complex Bill that intended to integrate resorts with casinos. But that legislation was removed in July by the Bhumjaithai party, which is Charnvirakul’s political party. Unfortunately, the incoming leadership may not see gambling as a priority, so casino legislation will end up on the back burner for the foreseeable future.
Asia-Pacific gaming sector expert Daniel Cheng told GGRAsia his thoughts on casino legislation now:
You can pretty much move the entertainment complex [bill] to the bottom drawer and lock it up for the next half year; and if I were a betting man, don’t count on an early sequel
Impact on Poker in Thailand
The Sports Authority of Thailand declared poker a sport in late July. That opened the door for the World Poker Tour to hold a sanctioned poker exhibition in Bangkok just a week later. The event was not held at a casino, as they remain illegal in Thailand. So, on the one hand, that shows that poker does not necessarily need other gambling to be legal to continue in Thailand. However, the sport designation for poker carries some restrictions, which would be alleviated if events could be held at casinos and treated as gambling.
The new Prime Minister has not yet made any statements or taken any actions that would indicate his stance on poker specifically. But he was active as Interior Minister when the Interior Ministry removed the ban on poker in July.
With the casino issues moved to the bottom of the pile it is likely that the sport classification of poker will also remain for the time being. Poker as a topic no longer seems pressing for Thailand as it goes through a time of turbulence.
Yet the game remains in the public eye. Over the weekend, Punsri added another million-plus to his career winnings. The high-roller and Thai national hero finished second in a Triton Poker series event in Jeju, South Korea after securing a chop with his opponent. Although Joshua Gebissa ultimately won, the deal ensured that Punsri took home the lion’s share of the prize pool: $1.2 million. He now has over $27 million in career earnings and ranks third in the 2025 Card Player Player of the Year leaderboard.
