Saturday, July 08, 2006

As reported by the Thai Nation: "About one in five people who illegally
gambling on football are likely to default on their bets, and leave total
debts of around Bt6 billion, according to a Kasikorn Research Centre survey
released yesterday. "Referring to crime records in the aftermath of previous
football tournaments, the survey predicted an increase in both petty and
serious crimes, ranging from theft, to battery and assault and even murder
associated with debt collection. ".The Bt6-billion estimate is thought to be
approximately 16 per cent of the total amount of bets placed on World Cup
games across the country. "The survey found that gamblers were less likely
to pay back debts to close friends (51 per cent), than sums owed to
bookmakers."