The claims came from maverick MP Chuvit Kamolvisit, a Rak Thailand Party member, at a media conference in Bangkok.
Although Mr Chuvit's claims have not always been substantiated in the past, Phuket's Police Commander, Major General Chonsit Wadhnawarangkun immediately ordered Phuket police to carry out raids on the alleged illegal casinos.
The former massage parlor tycoon's credibility probably rides on the accuracy of the remarkable claims he made today.
He said that, with the help of police and other officials, the Russian ''Spachiba'' gang had set up money-laundering outlets on Phuket, taking control of five-star resorts and villas in the process and creating two large illegal casinos.
Mr Chuvit said the biggest, in Patong's Soi Sansabai, was called ''Gambilng Tiger'' and handled 100 million baht a day. A second in the Tungthong district of Phuket handled 70-80 million baht a day.
Daily payoffs were made to police or Immigration officers, he claimed.
He said Phuket must have once been the Pearl of the Andaman but was now rapidly becoming the ''Bad Egg'' of the Andaman.
Mr Chuvit said he had been to Phuket recently and discovered a mosque and a school within six kilometres of the Phuket Governor's mansion where there was no electricity.
He said he was not surprised that PM Yingluck Shinawatra and her Cabinet on their recent visit to Phuket had been entertained at the five-star Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa rather than visiting the powerless mosque and school.
Commander Major General Chonsit swung teams of police into action late this afernoon as soon as he heard Mr Chuvit's claims.
fast work by Phuketwan
Posted by juswunderin on March 29, 2012 17:50