The WPT Prime will be held in Thailand for the first time

New WPT Tournament

An important meeting was held on April 10, 2025, with several participants:

• Sorawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand
• Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of TCEB (Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau)
• Keta Ozolina, WPT Vice President, Tour and Business Development
• Michael Chang, General Manager of WPT Asia-Pacific

Poker company representatives do not usually negotiate directly with official government representatives. However, there was a compelling reason for this meeting, as the final outcome was the decision to host the debut of the First WPT Thai in Bangkok this year.

Likewise, the Thai authorities:

• Recognized poker as a mind sport
• Guaranteed state support for the tournament's organization and logistics

In January, the Thai authorities passed a law legalizing casinos and gambling. If adopted by parliament, a major live casino industry could emerge in the country within the next five years. This could attract new tourists.

The WPT will be the first major poker brand to tap into the prospects of the Thai poker market and plans to organize three to four tournament series in the country next year.

The event's popularity could be guaranteed by online satellites in the WPT Global poker room, including buy-ins and packages. In fact, thanks to this, the WPT Cambodia Championship held in February had over 1,500 buy-ins. Players from eight countries made the final table of the tournament.

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