Business is booming on Khao San Road thanks to the World Cup

Business is booming on Khao San Road in Bangkok thanks to the FIFIA 2022 World Cup.

The President of the Khao San Road Business Association, Sa-nga Rueangwattanakun, revealed that businesses on Khao San Road increased by 50%.

Sa-nga said visitors flocked to entertainment venues and restaurants in the area to watch the World Cup matches providing a welcome boost to business coffers after slim pickings amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sa-nga wants more Thai and foreign visitors to join the fun in watching the World Cup on Khao San Road, adding that a huge LED screen is being set up on the road for football fans to enjoy too.

The President of the Thai Restaurant Association, Thaniwan Kunlamonggkon, echoed Sa-nga’s sentiments.

Thaniwan said that the influx of more visitors to Khao San Road is just in time for the High Season, a time of celebration in Thailand and a great time for the industry. She added that sales this week are back to where they were in 2019.

The Sports Authority of Thailand estimates that the World Cup will generate over 40 billion baht for the kingdom. But it’s not all good news.

On the negative side, police announced they will be investigating entertainment venues in the area to ensure there is no football betting taking place.

The Assistant to the Commission-General of the Royal Thai Police, Phanurat Lakboon, reported to the media that football betting had been moved from a paper base to an online betting system. Most of the servers were operated online and hard to control but Phanurat added that the police do have the power to close down some betting websites run in the country.

According to Section 3 (9) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, joining online betting will result in imprisonment from one to ten years, a fine from 20,000 to 200,000 baht, or both.

People who host football betting could face imprisonment from three months to three years and a fine from 500 to 5,000 baht.