Top Snooker Player Challenges PM Over Delisting Snooker From Gambling Law
Thailand's top snooker champion Arthassit Mahitthi has publicly criticized the Prime Minister for rejecting draft legislation that would remove snooker from the country's 1935 Gambling Act, warning it jeopardizes the future of Thai athletes
Top snooker champion Arthassit Mahitthi, known as Big Saraburi, has publicly criticized the Prime Minister's refusal to endorse draft legislation removing snooker from Thailand's Gambling Act of 1935, arguing it threatens the future of Thai athletes. Mahitthi and fellow champion Tepphaichai Unanu had collaborated with parliamentarians Nont Paisalliamjaiyangyit and Ratchanok Srinok to prepare and submit the bill to parliament on April 29, 2025, seeking to decriminalize snooker as a sport. The draft was determined to require Prime Minister endorsement under Constitutional Article 134 due to its financial implications, and on August 8, 2025, the Prime Minister's office issued a formal rejection.
In a Facebook post, Mahitthi expressed frustration, stating the proposal was "cut short from the beginning because the Prime Minister did not endorse it." He emphasized that the issue transcends any single group, declaring it "a matter of the future of sport and Thai athletes." Questioning why Thailand fails to legally delisting snooker despite producing world-class champions who bring honor to the nation, Mahitthi asked directly why the Prime Minister refused to support the reform.
