Thailand's Interior Ministry has cleared venues for animal fighting and racing that allow betting to reopen, more than three years after they closed at the onset of Covid-19. In a letter to provincial governors dated Feb 24, Suttipong Juljarern, permanent secretary to the interior minister, said the venues can reopen once they hold an official permit, because the disease is now controllable1.
The letter covers bullfighting, cockfighting, fish fighting, cow racing and horse racing, and says the resumption will promote local traditions and culture and let local people generate income1. District and sub-district heads are now authorized to issue the permits, and officials issuing them must strictly comply with an earlier Interior Ministry letter dated Dec 21, 20221.
"In a letter to provincial governors dated Feb 24, Suttipong Juljarern, permanent secretary to the interior minister, said such venues can re-open after obtaining an official permit since the disease is now controllable."
The guidelines differ by activity. For bullfighting, the 2009 ministerial regulation covering cockfighting and fish fighting can be adapted; bullfighting venues may open once a month in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces and once a week elsewhere1. Cockfighting and fish fighting venues must be well enclosed and far from youths, doping with toxic substances and sharp objects are banned, and they may open once a week on a Saturday or Sunday, no more than three times a month, and not on important Buddhist days1. Cow racing permits follow local traditions and culture, cannot fall on important Buddhist holy days, and people below the legal age must not be admitted1. Horse racing venues may reopen once a week as usual, with children and youths barred from inside for betting1.
| Activity | Frequency allowed | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Bullfighting | Once a month in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Phatthalung; once a week elsewhere | 2009 regulation on cockfighting and fish fighting may be adapted |
| Cockfighting, fish fighting | Once a week, Saturday or Sunday, maximum three times a month | Must be enclosed and far from youths; no doping substances or sharp objects; closed on important Buddhist days |
| Cow racing | According to local traditions and culture | Not on important Buddhist holy days; under-legal-age people barred |
| Horse racing | Once a week as usual | Children and youths barred from inside for betting |
What it means for players
The venues named in the letter have been shut since Covid-19 arrived, so the practical change is that betting on bullfighting, cockfighting, fish fighting, cow racing and horse racing can resume at permitted venues rather than only through whatever channels remained open during the closure1. Permission is not automatic: each venue needs a permit from a district or sub-district head, and the conditions attached to those permits set when betting can take place and who may be inside1. Age limits apply at cow racing and horse racing venues, and cockfighting and fish fighting venues must be sited away from youths1. The letter does not set out any change to online betting, minimum bets, payouts or tax treatment, and none of that has been reported1. For general background on what is legal in the country, see Can I Gamble in Thailand? and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions; for the racing side specifically, see Horse Racing and Betting in Thailand and Where Horse Racing Betting Is Legal in Asia. The fighting side is covered in Is Cockfighting Betting Legal in Asia? and Cockfighting and Animal Contests in Asian Gambling.
What happens next
The letter took effect from its date of Feb 24, and permits can be issued from then by district and sub-district heads1.
No start date for any individual venue, and no figure for how many venues have applied, has been reported1.
