Border casino ignites Mexican standoff between Cambodia and Thailand

ntroversial Cambodian casino on the border with Thailand has sparked a border a minor trade stand-off between the two countries.

The Saitaku Resort and Casino opened its doors several weeks ago and whilst it’s illegal for residents from both countries to gamble in casinos, the entity was relying on attracting tourists from neighbouring Thailand.

Whilst all was set to run smoothly, on the night of the casino’s soft opening on 7 April, the Thai authorities banned its own citizens from crossing the border to visit the new resort.

Subsequently, this has created a rather big problem for the new casino as no one is able to easily visit it. Approximately 300 VIP guests were allowed to attend, whilst those without invitation were prohibited from making the crossing.

In a petty retaliation to the Thai authorities’ decision to prohibit citizens crossing the border, Cambodia has done the exact same.

The moves have left both countries in a Mexican stand-off, with neither Cambodian nor Thai citizens allowed to cross the border, in turn, damaging business for local tradesmen on either side who depend solely on cross-border activity.

Mayor of the Tambon Chanthop Phet Municipality in Ban Kruat district told the Bangkok Post that trade had plunged from several million baht a week to almost nothing.

The controversy started last month, when Veera Somkwamkid argued that the new Saitaku Resort and Casino was located inside a Thai national park.

Whilst the two countries have had plenty of border disputes in the past, it is clear that the new casino is safely inside the Cambodian border.