The gambling industry has become further embroiled in the long-running hostility between Thailand and Cambodia following the destruction of two casinos.
According to the Bangkok Post, the Thai army used tank guns to destroy a casino building in Cambodia on Tuesday (9 December) – claiming it was being used to store artillery, machine guns and other weapons.
Just a day earlier, the country’s air force bombed a different casino building located in Cambodia that was believed to have been used as a drone control station.
Century-old disputes reignite
Thailand and Cambodia have been contesting territorial sovereignty along their 800km land border for more than a century, and the region has been the site of armed disputes for almost as long.
In July, US President Donald Trump helped to broker a ceasefire between the two nations as tensions escalated, fuelled by gunfire and the death of a Cambodian soldier.
However, in the last 48 hours, fighting has begun once more, with both sides accusing each other of firing into civilian areas.
Cambodia has reported that at least seven civilians have been killed, with around 20 injured. Meanwhile, Thai officials have said that three soldiers have been killed, while more than 125,000 have been forced to flee to temporary shelters.
Border tensions bring down casino bill
The fighting in July brought an end to the reign of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Thailand’s leader and, with it, the hopes of passing a casino bill designed to bring land-based gaming to the country as part of a series of integrated resorts.
A leaked phone call emerged in which Shinawatra could be heard criticising the actions of the Thai army to Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former leader, leading to the PM being suspended as protestors gathered in Bangkok to call for her resignation.
She was eventually removed from power by Thailand’s Constitutional Court, and the casino bill was subsequently withdrawn.
Shinawatra has since been replaced by Anutin Charnvirakul, a member of the Bhumjaithai Party and a staunch opponent of gambling.
Since taking the reins, he has repeatedly quashed any talks of putting the bill back on the table – a stance favoured by China’s Jinping as Thailand seeks to repair relationships with China and re-establish itself as a favourable destination for Chinese tourists.
