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.