As the World Cup 2022 kicked off in an air-conditioned Qatar stadium on Sunday, so did football betting across Thailand -- which, despite being illegal, has unfortunately become a part of the country's football culture.
Despite the economic malaise, last year about four million Thais spent over 180 million baht on online gambling, most of which was spent on football betting, according to Thanakorn Komkrit, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation.
