At a Wednesday press conference, deputy national police chief Chalermkiat Srivorakhan (centre) outlined plans to tackle football gambling during the World Cup. Football betting is also more easily accessible due to the ubiquity of online betting sites, says the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. In 2015-2016, there were 213,000 online gambling sites dedicated to football betting and this number is on the rise, according to the foundation. A total of 722 people were arrested between May 1 and yesterday for involvement in football gambling. Meanwhile, Thanachoke Aphikawinwong, a 21-year-old maths tutor, said the World Cup is a special opportunity to catch up with friends.

Source: Bangkok Post June 13, 2018 22:07 UTC