PM orders probe of Rayong gambling dens blamed for outbreak
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered police to investigate illegal gambling in Rayong province, where an illicit casino is thought to be the source of a serious Covid-19 outbreak.
“The first punishment will be for ignorance and the next step will be to investigate who owns those casinos,” the premier said on Monday.
Rayong police chief Paphatdet Ketphan has been shifted to an inactive post after health authorities tracked more than 90 cases and one death in the eastern province to illegal gambling.
Rayong governor Charnna Iamsaeng reported that several people were infected at illegal casinos, contradicting the Rayong police chief’s claim that no such establishments existed in the province.
Netizens have ridiculed Rayong police, saying the episode reflects the inadequacy of Thai authorities to deal with the pandemic situation.
