Casinos on the Thai-Cambodian border tell staff to stay home

Amid the ongoing tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, the staff of casinos perched on the border have been instructed to stay home.

An incident on the Cambodian border led to the death of a soldier and sparked the rising boiling point between the nations. Both are integral to the tourism and staffing of entertainment resorts near the dividing line.

There are eight casinos in the region of Poipet, with each one attracting a heavy tourist footfall, and Thai nationals are a staple of the working population in these environments.

Unsubtly named “Sin City”, Poipet contributes to the tax revenue of some of the biggest earners in the casino and entertainment industry in Cambodia.

As we reported, the dispute has led to a slow back-and-forth of retribution involving resources, trade, and now passport curfews for the staff of casino environments. Thailand accusedly cut power and internet access to Cambodia to intimidate its neighbour and there have been a host of retaliatory tactics at all levels of the nation’s leadership.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet has been critical of his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. He alleged that Shinawatra of made unfair comments about the professionalism of Cambodian representatives in a recorded clip that showed the leader saying words like “chaotic” about the behaviour of the nation’s leaders.

One loser in this game of international diplomacy is the casino and entertainment location owners, who have recorded a sharp decline in earnings since the tensions began in early June.

Poipet’s Star Vegas Casino has recorded a supposedly 62% dip in casino traffic and a 42% fall in hotel bookings during the conflict. Donaco, the owner of the location, stated in a filing to the Australian Securities Exchange that due to “a brief military clash on 28 May 2025, tensions along the border between Thailand and Cambodia have heightened.”

The statement continued, “The Thai government subsequently imposed measures impacting Donaco’s Star Vegas operations, such as reduced border crossing hours and a ban on Thai nationals crossing the border for nonessential travel, such as for tourism and gambling in casinos located in border towns. Both governments have expressed commitments to resolving the border tensions, and management will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

Featured image: Pixlr AI-generated.

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