Cross-Border Corruption Networks
The investigation exposes systematic corruption involving officials on both sides of the border. Casino operators must pay bribes to facilitate border crossing schedules, passport processing, contraband inspections, and cross-border money transfers.
Crucially, the casinos serve as money-laundering centres for Thai elite engaged in illegal businesses, with conspiracies between money launderers and casino owners who often become VIP clients.
The research identifies “Kok An,” a wealthy Cambodian businessman and Hun Sen adviser, who was involved in constructing the Princess Crown casino in Poipet.
The project violated border agreements, prompting Thai protests and forcing construction to halt with excavated canal soil returned.
Border Restrictions Hit Casino Profits
The current border restrictions directly impact casino operations, particularly at the Aranyaprathet-Poipet crossing, now operating 08:00-16:00 with explicit prohibition: “Thai nationals travelling for gambling and tourism are forbidden to leave the country.”
These measures may represent attempts to control gambling and cross-border crime, but they also highlight the complex relationships between state power, business interests, and influence networks spanning both nations.
The International Web
The casino network involves multiple international players including “Tony,” an Indonesian businessman owning Holiday Palace and Holiday Poipet; Chen Lip Keong, a Malaysian tycoon controlling Naga World through NagaCorp; Macau Chinese businessmen with stakes in multiple casinos; and Taiwanese investment groups in Star Vegas.
Thai involvement includes “Sia Somboon,” former Star Vegas and Star King owner, Cosmo Oil businessmen holding Star Vegas shares, and local Sa Kaeo entrepreneurs with stakes across multiple operations.
Questions for the Future
The current Thai-Cambodia dispute has inadvertently exposed what researchers describe as a “colossal profit network” generating billions of baht whilst connecting influential figures across both countries.
As border tensions continue, the sustainability of these cross-border gambling empires faces unprecedented scrutiny.
The key question remains: how long will the current dispute last, and what will be its ultimate impact on the multi-billion baht casino networks that have operated in the shadows of Thai-Cambodia relations for decades?
* This investigation is based on research by the Centre for Gambling Problem Studies examining economic and political elite networks and the impact of border casinos along the Thai-Cambodia frontier.
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