The government is inviting public feedback on amendments to the gambling ministry regulations to remove restrictions on "billiards and boxing," supporting youth training and development toward professional sports from 22 Oct to 22 Nov 2026 GMT+7;
On 23 October 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Ploy Laksamee Sangchan, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the government, through the Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior, is inviting stakeholders to provide opinions on the principles and key issues of the draft ministerial regulation issued under the Gambling Act B.E. 2478 (1935). Comments can be submitted via the central legal system (www.law.go.th) or by scanning the designated QR code from 22 October 2026 to 22 November 2026 GMT+7.
Ms. Ploy Talay explained that the purpose is to amend outdated legal restrictions to align with current conditions and the country’s sports management system, while linking with specific sports laws to promote the development of Thai athletes. Since the existing ministerial regulation has been in force for a long time and contains provisions that hinder the sports sector, the Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior, has announced a public consultation to amend and supplement Ministerial Regulation No. 17 (B.E. 2503) issued under the Gambling Act B.E. 2478, focusing on two main issues as follows:
1. Unlocking "billiards/snooker" for youth. Although billiards is recognized as a professional sport under the Professional Sports Promotion Act B.E. 2556 (2013), the old law still prohibits minors from playing or training, which obstructs the development of young athletes' potential. This amendment will allow children and youth to play or train under specified criteria.
2. Updating "boxing" regulations to international standards by revising the references to the organizing authorities from the former Department of Physical Education and Regional Education Departments to fall under the supervision of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) or its certified bodies. This aligns with the current Boxing Sport Act B.E. 2542 (1999).
The draft regulation preparation follows the Cabinet resolution on 10 March 2026, which approved state agencies to conduct public consultations during the initial proposal phase. This complies with Section 5 of the Act on the Criteria for Drafting Legislation and Evaluating Legal Effectiveness B.E. 2562 (2019), which mandates state agencies to seek stakeholder input to support legislative consideration processes.