All Forums | General Discussion

Moving to Paradise

...
Participants:
Search
Views: 2591
Posts: 42
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #1
So... I'm about to take off to Thailand. Life is cheap there, weather at least as tolerable as in Europe (or rather, part of Europe I'm able to currently afford to live in) and, as my main income comes from translating and creative advertising, I'm lucky to never have to 'be at the office' - except at my Internet-connected laptop.

I'm in the research stage now. Reading blogs, making connections. Unfortunately, I haven't found anyone yet who gambles a lot and can confirm how to go about making online wagers/playing poker from within Thailand.

The only piece of news which is confirmed is, disturbingly, that Betfair refuses login attempts from within the country.

So my question to anyone who visited Thailand no later than 2012 or better yet lives there fulltime, is this:

Is this country strictly against gambling? Do their laws cover Thai citizens or is online betting outlawed for expats as well? Of course, if it's as bad as I fear it is, I would love to get some feedback on how to overcome the government-imposed barriers and continue to wager at Pinnacle with an occasional Pokerstars tournament to spice up a slow week in the Paradise.

Thanks a lot for all your comments; I hope this thread will put my mind at ease and make moving a no-brainer. According to the numbers I've run, I should spend much less living in Thailand - and that's great for my bankroll
 
MVP
Participation Meter
Joined: Dec, 2003
Posts: 18138
Posted: #2
Done tons of traveling but never been there. On my list. 

GL!
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #3
Also:

- Opening a card/bank account in a Thai bank, would I be able to deposit/withdraw cash from a e-money wallet? Webmoney? Paypal? Skrill?

- Is there such a thing as a casino in Thailand? (My guess is yes but locals can't play there)

- Is it true I will pay between $5-8 for each ATM withdrawal regardless of its size, using a foreign bank-issued USD Visa card?
 
Legend
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2001
Posts: 60107
Posted: #4

Quote Originally Posted by MuggsyBogues:

So... I'm about to take off to Thailand. Life is cheap there, weather at least as tolerable as in Europe (or rather, part of Europe I'm able to currently afford to live in) and, as my main income comes from translating and creative advertising, I'm lucky to never have to 'be at the office' - except at my Internet-connected laptop.

I'm in the research stage now. Reading blogs, making connections. Unfortunately, I haven't found anyone yet who gambles a lot and can confirm how to go about making online wagers/playing poker from within Thailand.

The only piece of news which is confirmed is, disturbingly, that Betfair refuses login attempts from within the country.

So my question to anyone who visited Thailand no later than 2012 or better yet lives there fulltime, is this:

Is this country strictly against gambling? Do their laws cover Thai citizens or is online betting outlawed for expats as well? Of course, if it's as bad as I fear it is, I would love to get some feedback on how to overcome the government-imposed barriers and continue to wager at Pinnacle with an occasional Pokerstars tournament to spice up a slow week in the Paradise.

Thanks a lot for all your comments; I hope this thread will put my mind at ease and make moving a no-brainer. According to the numbers I've run, I should spend much less living in Thailand - and that's great for my bankroll

From what I understand, gambling is against the law in Thailand, but largely uninforced. 

I would highly suggest doing searches of poker players in Thailand.  There is just so much more out there for poker than sports.  Here are some good starts....

https://www.pokerlistings.com/thailand-heaven-on-earth-for-u-s-online-grinder-westmorland-82617

https://www.pokerplayer.co.uk/news/features/8517/the_thriving_thailand_poker_scene.html

https://pokerexpats.com/destinations/thailand/

"

Now, the first thing you should know about playing in Thailand is the all forms of gambling including online poker are ILLEGAL in Thailand. Now, having said that, you should also know that EVERYONE gambles in Thailand and there are underground casinos everywhere. But you should always keep in mind that online poker is illegal and as a result there are two pieces of advice for those who want to live in Thailand and play poker:

  • Don’t ever talk about playing poker for a living.
  • Don’t ever talk about playing poker for a living.

Keep a low profile. Don’t talk about what you do. Don’t live too lavishly and draw attention to yourself, and if people ask, tell them that you design websites for a living or get a job teaching English so you appear to have a source of legitimate income. If a poker player gets jammed up in Thailand it’s because someone ratted him out to the cops, someone like that girl you’ve been dating and now she’s your EX and she wants revenge, or some foreigner you got in a beef with uses your online work at home job to get you in hot water. There are tons of Poker players living in Thailand so you won’t be alone just use common sense and you will be fine."

Support your local animal shelter. I am on twitter.
 
Legend
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2001
Posts: 60107
Posted: #5

Quote Originally Posted by MuggsyBogues:

Also:

- Opening a card/bank account in a Thai bank, would I be able to deposit/withdraw cash from a e-money wallet? Webmoney? Paypal? Skrill?

- Is there such a thing as a casino in Thailand? (My guess is yes but locals can't play there)

- Is it true I will pay between $5-8 for each ATM withdrawal regardless of its size, using a foreign bank-issued USD Visa card?

Obtaining a foreign gambling presence is different in every case.  Once you move, the first thing you should do is immediately start getting some utility bills with your address on them - ASAP.  Surprisingly, proof of residence is the one thing that trips most people up.  The second thing you should do is obtain a govt issued ID as soon as possible - like a drivers license.

After these 2 things are in your hands, getting a bank account will be much easier.  After you have the bank acct, govt issued ID, and proof of residence - you can get an online wallet like Neteller or Skrill.  Skrill verifies you in an interesting way - they mail you a letter with a code and you just enter it online (mail - as in postal mail).  And once you have Skrill - you can move money anywhere.

Once you have bank acct and skrill, you can open accounts at sportsbooks.  Most SB at some point will also ask for proof of residence, so if a SB doesn't take Thailand - I would suggest just moving on to another.  You could set up a VPN and provide a foreign address (maybe from a mail forwarder), but that is a lot of work and risk of getting caught and your acct could be confiscated.

Most importantly - REPORT BACK TO US ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU LEARN AND HOW YOU LIKE IT!!

Good luck Mugsy.

Support your local animal shelter. I am on twitter.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Oct, 2009
Posts: 5229
Posted: #6
Muggsy, For about $8 a month you can make it look like you are anywhere with your IP address. Good Luck in Thailand
 
Legend
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2001
Posts: 60107
Posted: #7

Quote Originally Posted by JicJac:

Muggsy, For about $8 a month you can make it look like you are anywhere with your IP address. Good Luck in Thailand

But you don't have a bank account, you don't have an online wallet, and you don't have proof of residency.

Support your local animal shelter. I am on twitter.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Oct, 2009
Posts: 5229
Posted: #8
Quote Originally Posted by vanzack:

But you don't have a bank account, you don't have an online wallet, and you don't have proof of residency.

 

No I agree. You have to get that stuff. My comment was in reference to the site not accepting you because you're from Thailand.

 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2009
Posts: 6368
Posted: #9
You sure know little about the "paradise" you're moving to.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #10
vanzack - I'm very glad this thread caught your eye. May I ask if you speak from experience, e.g. have you ever set up the 'foreign gambling presence' you mentioned? I'm sure your info is good, I just would like to know if there is any other country (great climate, low costs, availability of online gambling) you'd recommend? As you can tell, the Thailand plan is purely tentative at this stage.

I haven't even considered getting a 'thai residence package' - I am the resident of a country accepted by practically all bookmakers and poker website, with an odd exception of Centrebet or PaddyPower. I am not planning to purchase a property - not in the first 2-3 years of living there - so I'm not sure getting utility bills with my name on it will be an option (as obviously I'll only be renting).

Poker: I'll check out your - and many others - threads before I can come up with a reply that may be worth reading.

Jic Jac - I believe I know what you are talking about but still I'd like a word with you. Accept friend please!

Skipbone - the long reply to your smartbutt comment is 'This is why internet forums were invented in the first place - so that users could exchange useful information and ask questions before they did something unimaginably stupid like moving half a world away without the slightest knowledge of what they're getting into.

The short version is: Screw you.
 
Veteran
Participation Meter
Joined: Feb, 2011
Posts: 2008
Posted: #11
the problem is all the thais.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Oct, 2009
Posts: 5229
Posted: #12
accepted.
 
MVP
Participation Meter
Joined: Aug, 2007
Posts: 16348
Posted: #13
GLGL
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Apr, 2007
Posts: 7618
Posted: #14
The biggest problem will most likely be the bad internet connection.
Of course it will depend on where in Thailand you are going to live.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #15
Hey what do you know. Pokerstars actually has players from (Thailand) gambling for real cash!
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #16
Some of the best advice/info I've found so far:

“You have to have numerous Internet back-ups,” he explained. “We have wireless sticks and broadband. It’s good to go basically.” - a poker grinder

Of course there are some bad areas but no worse than East London. - a 3-time Thailand visitor replying to a claim that the country is a crime-filled garbage hole.

Your chances of getting into any real trouble playing online poker in Thailand are pretty low.  As they say, “It’s a farang problem.”  In other words, it’s a foreigner problem.  Thais don’t really play online poker so it’s just those crazy farangs wasting their money as far as the cops are concerned.  It doesn’t impact the locals so it mostly flies under the radar. - Bill Rini, a poker blogger

I stayed in Thailand on a student visa.  I enrolled in Thai language courses (about $1000 for a year).  This makes you legal for about a year but you need to go to the immigration office every 90 days to extend your visa. - Bill Rini

Never, ever, ever sever your banking and credit card relationships in the US.  You may not be able to process payments through those accounts but you will most certainly need US banking relationships sooner or later and they’re very, very difficult to set up with no US address. - B.R.

Breaking the state government’s grip on your income usually involves establishing a residence in another state (preferably with no state tax) prior to moving overseas. - B.R.

As far as I’m aware none of the major sites blocks Thailand.  Full Tilt’s website was blocked in Thailand (by the Thai government) but the poker client worked. - B.R.

There’s an old saying in Thailand amongst expats, “Don’t ever keep more money in Thailand than you can afford to lose. “  - B.R.

I think you’d be better off living in the Philippines if you want to play poker for a living...No websites are blocked, gambling is not illegal, and cyber laws here are kind of still being written. Don’t be afraid of what you here in the news. Just stay in Manila or Cebu and you’ll be fine. - someone named Joshua
 
Legend
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2001
Posts: 60107
Posted: #17

Quote Originally Posted by MuggsyBogues:


I haven't even considered getting a 'thai residence package' - I am the resident of a country accepted by practically all bookmakers and poker website, with an odd exception of Centrebet or PaddyPower. I am not planning to purchase a property - not in the first 2-3 years of living there - so I'm not sure getting utility bills with my name on it will be an option (as obviously I'll only be renting).

Muggsy - I thought you were going from the USA.

This makes it very easy.   Keep all of your current bank accounts, bookies, and netellers etc - and use a VPN from Thailand to get a VPN from your current country.  It will be like you never moved.  Easy.

Support your local animal shelter. I am on twitter.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #18
Quote Originally Posted by RJSmith:

The biggest problem will most likely be the bad internet connection.
Of course it will depend on where in Thailand you are going to live.


Currently the plan is to start off at Koh Phangan where we'll relax a little more and work a little less even if it rains all day (planning to go in October). After we've seen all the beautiful sunsets and enjoyed the white sandy beaches with episodes of a trained ape harvesting cocoa nuts... we'll move on to a metropolitan area - near Pattaya or Bangkok - where accommodation is priced about the same but internet should be a lot better than on any island, including Phangan.

If you've lived on a Thai *island* for more than a couple of weeks, I'd love to hear about your experiences with internet there. So far I've learnt it can be 'spotty at best' which is no good since my livelihood depends on (more or less) stable internet access.
 
All-Star
Participation Meter
Joined: Jun, 2007
Posts: 10320
Posted: #19
Quote Originally Posted by Skipbone:

You sure know little about the "paradise" you're moving to.


I go to Thailand about every year or so.....
 * and the Skipboner makes the best point by far

You seem to know very little about Thailand....but yet you're moving there?

The days of just showing up....extending your visa .....then disappearing....or making unlimited border runs are GONE.....

Without a work permit.....your azz can be deported at ANY moment...re-entry visa denied / facing heavy fines..........even with one there are no guarantees
  *for $2500 or so......you can 'create' your own company....then issue yourself one klnda sorta  

you can't open a checking account without a work permit...some banks will give you a savings account with an ATM card.....that's it

Thai's have no problem with you getting s-h-i-t faced and organizing a gang bang with 10 young girls and their mothers maybe....but seriously frown upon any gambling or drug use.....BOL..... 
It is better to be feared - than to be loved.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Nov, 2002
Posts: 7112
Posted: #20
Thailand is very humid.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #21
Quote Originally Posted by bookieassassin:



I go to Thailand about every year or so.....
--------------
you can't open a checking account without a work permit...some banks will give you a savings account with an ATM card.....that's it



Do you just go as a 'regular tourist', staying in a hotel for a few weeks then leaving e.g. do you bend any visa regulations at all? It seems like you really think I shouldn't count on being able to do that... any longer. I would love it if you elaborated.

Savings account with an ATM card - is this the same account someone from the USA could wire money to, for a small fee (say $50 on a $10k transfer)? If so, how much would I need to pay to get cash in Thailand? I hear that cashing small amounts can get really expensive and getting larger sums of money is generally a great idea (since you pay a fixed amount per transaction, around $5-8 per ATM cashout).

Love hearing healthy criticism from experienced folks. I'm not sure how Skipbone's comment is any good, but you ... I hope you stick around and help me find some answers before I get myself into a situation I'd rather avoid.

Thanks for stopping by

 
All-Star
Participation Meter
Joined: Jun, 2007
Posts: 10320
Posted: #22
I've never stayed more than a month...
  *but I'm an old fart and can get a retirement (over 50) visa

You only need to be able to do 2 things......
  * should you suddenly have to leave...for whatever reason....to have the necessary cash on hand to leave.....and resume your previous lifestyle....
  *to be able to identify a man....from a woman....

The first one seems like no problem....that 2nd one is way tougher than you think...........

The Thai govt is trying to run off the backpacker types....that get crap jobs > get drunk for a few years> then leave without paying any taxes

Recent laws have changed .....so that the old visa runs to Cambodia only give you 15 days now....instead of 30.......to get 30 more days you have to fly out.....to Malaysia usually......(if no previous visa)...a broke-azz backpacker type cannot afford this of course...

Tons of people still find a way to hang around tho....
  *educational visas are given out by language schools....and even a few muay Thai schools...
  *many types of non-immigrant visas....rules vary by country of origin

Probably the best way to get paid from a gambling account is to find a sports book that pays with an ATM card ....seems like a few of those around ......
It is better to be feared - than to be loved.
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: Dec, 2004
Posts: 7738
Posted: #23
Quote Originally Posted by bookieassassin:

I've never stayed more than a month...
  *but I'm an old fart and can get a retirement (over 50) visa

You only need to be able to do 2 things......
  * should you suddenly have to leave...for whatever reason....to have the necessary cash on hand to leave.....and resume your previous lifestyle....
  *to be able to identify a man....from a woman....

The first one seems like no problem....that 2nd one is way tougher than you think...........

The Thai govt is trying to run off the backpacker types....that get crap jobs > get drunk for a few years> then leave without paying any taxes

Recent laws have changed .....so that the old visa runs to Cambodia only give you 15 days now....instead of 30.......to get 30 more days you have to fly out.....to Malaysia usually......(if no previous visa)...a broke-azz backpacker type cannot afford this of course...

Tons of people still find a way to hang around tho....
  *educational visas are given out by language schools....and even a few muay Thai schools...
  *many types of non-immigrant visas....rules vary by country of origin

Probably the best way to get paid from a gambling account is to find a sports book that pays with an ATM card ....seems like a few of those around ......



good info...
 
Veteran
Participation Meter
Joined: Sep, 2010
Posts: 2542
Posted: #24
As mentioned, gambling is illegal. Gambling sites get blocked. Using s VPN or IP blocker sounds easy but books do sweeps of these things. Most legit books are licensed in strict regulatory enviroments (and listed on stock exchanges), and they don;t turn a blind eye to somebody in one country accessing their sites. Allowing a few rouges to use VPN's and IP blockers might sound ok, but when it means you may not get a license in a new region (which has hundred of thousands potential new customers) the books will take the obvious choice.

You might think you are one step ahead of them, but they will catch you eventually and your funds will be confiscated. And when you try and fund in one country and your IP says you are in another country then that will be a dead giveaway. I'm in a country that accepts Pinnacle customers, but I once forgot to turn off my IP blocker which said I was in another country and Pinny sent me an email telling me this was my one warning

Your other alternative is to use botn a VPN or IP blocker, and a garbage site. Good luck if you want to run that gauntlet
 
 
Captain
Participation Meter
Joined: May, 2009
Posts: 8640
Posted: #25
Quote Originally Posted by Hirschfelder:

.

I'm in a country that accepts Pinnacle customers, but I once forgot to turn off my IP blocker which said I was in another country and Pinny sent me an email telling me this was my one warning



This exact same thing happened to me before. They didn't seem all *that* upset but of course I'd do anything in the future to make it look good for the benefit of everybody involved (the book, and myself).

Provided I get a permanent tatoo on my forearm saying VPN and have a sign over my computer (anything to avoid making the blunder and logging in w/o that B.Tunn..... software)... should I be allright?

p.s. 5Dimes dont' allow deposits when you're logged in through a proxy website. Pinnacle seemingly don't care - as long as you IP is in one of the legit countries (e.g. NOT in Spain, France, the Netherlands and Turkey).

All Forums | General Discussion
About Us
Contact Us
Careers
Our Team
Brand
Testimonials
Betting Guides
Sportsbook Reviews
Betting News
Podcasts
Responsible Gambling
Betting Sites
US Betting Sites
Canada Betting Sites
Canada Casinos
Best Betting Apps
Contests
Streak Survivor
King of Covers
Ultimate Race
Office Pools
The Covers community has
810,221
lifetime members worldwide
Covers 30 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
21+
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Help Privacy Privacy Choices Terms of Service Cookies Sitemap Forum
Covers is verified safe by:
Evalon Logo Logo GPWA Logo GDPR logo Logo GeoTrust logo Logo
Covers Logo
Copyright © 1995 - 2026 Genius Sports. All Rights Reserved.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.