It would be interesting to explore the potential relations between the crackdown on these illegal operations and the current conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.
Really solid reporting on the cyclical nature of these crackdowns. The detail about officials tipping off operators before the raids feels like the key tell here, I saw somthing similar with the 2019 gambling ban where operations just morphed into new structures. When theres that much revenue at stake (60% of GDP) its tuff to imagine genuine reform without fundamentally changing who profits from the system.
It would be interesting to explore the potential relations between the crackdown on these illegal operations and the current conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.
Really solid reporting on the cyclical nature of these crackdowns. The detail about officials tipping off operators before the raids feels like the key tell here, I saw somthing similar with the 2019 gambling ban where operations just morphed into new structures. When theres that much revenue at stake (60% of GDP) its tuff to imagine genuine reform without fundamentally changing who profits from the system.
The Chinese government has executed members of the Bai family by firing squad.