WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition 2025, the first-ever live poker tournament, recently took place at the UOB Live Bangkok.
Thailand’s Interior Minister has signed an order legalising tournament poker in the country and promoting it as a sport, opening up opportunities for international sports tournaments to be held in Thailand.
The decision overturns what the government described as ‘outdated regulations’. According to reports, Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who is also Acting Prime Minister, said legalising poker games for money would be allowed under controlled conditions
He also confirmed that a committee would be set up to oversee necessary legal amendments and ensure that regulation is enforced properly. The order is an initial step in achieving legalisation for poker, with a regulatory framework needing to be established before legalisation can be achieved.
Phumtham said: “Poker has been legally recognised as a sport by international federations for over a decade. If we want to host competitions, we must allow it in a limited, case-by-case manner.”
WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition 2025, the first-ever live poker tournament, recently took place at the UOB Live Bangkok.