Gambling dens are blatantly reopening in Tachileik City in eastern Shan State’s Tachileik Township.

In junta-controlled Tachileik City, casinos and gambling dens have been reopening since April, operating increasingly brazenly each day, a 25-year-old resident told Shan Herald.

“Before, the gambling dens were shut down for a while due to crackdowns. But now they’re all open again. As far as I know, there are about four around the city center. Some operate alongside KTV lounges, offering all kinds of bets,” she said.

She added that an increasing number of hotels and KTV lounges are opening gambling dens alongside their regular businesses, and that these establishments tend to primarily hire women.

“They usually hire young women just over 18, and some places won’t hire anyone they don’t consider pretty,” she said.  

Most of the gambling dens currently operating in Tachileik City are primarily run by junta-aligned militias and civilian officials under the junta’s command.

A young worker at one of Tachileik City’s gambling dens said that not only locals but also migrants displaced by military conflicts across the country are working there.

“Young people from Kyaukme and Thibaw (Hsipaw) in northern Shan State, as well as from central region cities like Yangon and Mandalay, are working in the gambling dens. A lot of young people from Kengtung (Kyaingtong) and Monghpyak in eastern Shan State work there too,” he said.

Workers at these gambling dens typically earn a monthly salary of 10,000 to 15,000 THB (about 1.2 million MMK), along with food and accommodation.

Tachileik City, located on the border with Thailand, has largely avoided military conflicts, and the junta has allowed its affiliates to run gambling businesses openly in exchange for taxes.

In the first week of January, the junta announced a crackdown on gambling dens in Tachileik City. However, it had warned the dens in advance, so they were all temporarily closed before any arrests took place.