Amidst a growing poker ecosystem in Asia, Thailand is ready to throw its hat into the ring.
According to reports from the Bangkok Post, Thailand is officially open for international poker business.
Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai signed an order last week allowing for legal poker games for real money under controlled conditions. Effective July 30, the legalization of poker intends to promote the game as a sport.
“If poker is to be recognized as a sport, there must be a proper legal framework,” said Wechayachai. “We need to remove regulatory obstacles to allow international competitions while maintaining strong oversight.”
However, the order didn’t change the local laws that prohibit most online poker sites from operating in the country.
The timing was particularly good news for the World Poker Tour. Representatives of the company when to Thailand in April to meet with government officials. When they left, they announced a deal with the country to bring a poker series to Bangkok in 2025.
They didn’t set a date for the series at the time. However, just a day after Wechayachai signed the order, the company kicked off the WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition. The series started on Aug. 1 and wrapped up on Aug. 5.
“The economic impact of the World Poker Tour is proven globally, and Thailand is the perfect place to bring this iconic tournament,” WPT Vice President of Tour and Business Keta Ozolina said at the meeting.
Strong Debut For WPT Thailand
The event venue, UOB Live in Bangkok, is a 6,000 capacity venue for concerts, entertainment, e-sports, conventions and exhibitions. The event ultimately drew 2,337 entrants. Prizes for the tournament, awarded in Thai Baht currency, carried the label of “travel funds.”
It’s official… Thailand has its first-ever Main Event Champion! 🇹🇭
Congratulations to Haoran Sun, who outlasted thousands to take down the inaugural WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition Championship 🏆
His win comes with the title, the trophy, and a seat at the @WPT World… pic.twitter.com/mk33BLNAlN
— WPT Global (@wpt_global) August 5, 2025
Haoran Sun won the event, claiming a top prize of THB 11,477,000, equivalent to $353,497. As part of his prize package, Sun also earned a seat to the 2025 WPT World Championship in Las Vegas in December.
While there are no plans yet for major poker events, the turnout for this event and general sentiments are likely to draw significant international attention.
“Poker has been legally recognized as a sport by international federations for over a decade,” said Wechayachai. “If we want to host competitions, we must allow it in a limited, case-by-case manner.”
