Cambodia and Thailand are embroiled in a border dispute, escalating to the point where the long-standing relationship between Cambodia’s Hun Sen family and Thailand’s Thaksin family has fractured. Chuwit Kamolvisit, known in Thailand as the “King of Exposés,” analyzed that the root cause lies in Thaksin’s desire to promote the legalization of casinos in Thailand, which would harm Cambodia’s interests.
Chuwit Kamolvisit was once Thailand’s massage parlor tycoon and served as leader of the Rak Thailand Party as well as a Member of Parliament. During his time in politics, he constantly exposed scandals and sharply criticized police officials, even forcing the police chief to resign. His tough stance against the police brought him widespread fame in Thai political circles.
According to Thai Headlines News Agency, Chuwit posted on his Facebook, stating that in his view, the root of this conflict of interest is Thaksin’s proposed “integrated entertainment complex” project. Pheu Thai is vigorously promoting its many benefits for Thailand, claiming it will significantly boost state revenue, create jobs, and serve as a panacea to revive and restore Thailand’s economy to its former glory. Supporters echo these claims in unison, with no dissenting voices. But the real truth is, if an integrated entertainment complex is established in Thailand, the country suffering the most losses will undoubtedly be Cambodia—the “territory” of the Hun Sen family. Casinos are everywhere in Cambodia, from Poipet to Sihanoukville, found on every street and alley, in both cities and towns.
Chuwit pointed out that once Thailand has its own integrated entertainment complex, Cambodia’s physical casinos and online gambling industry along the border will suffer a devastating blow, further impacting casinos within the cities and directly dealing a heavy blow to the Hun Sen family’s interests.
Chuwit further noted that when interests clash, splits are inevitable. Cambodian and Thai politicians are like twins, but Cambodia’s “sorcery” seems to have the upper hand—when it comes to cunning and changeability, Thai politicians may not be able to keep up. With hundreds of billions in casino interests at stake, coupled with the prospect of unseating Thaksin, what tricks will Hun Sen pull? Only turning to the last chapter of The Art of War might reveal the answer.