"National Police chief General Kowit Watana has ordered all commanders to keep an eye on their subordinates during the World Cup tournament," said police spokesman Lt-General Ajiravid Subharnbhesaj yesterday.

Ajiravid said the police chief had called for maximum punishment, including criminal charges, against rogue officers found to be behind football betting rackets.

Meanwhile, Provincial Police Region 9 will closely monitor the movement of suspicious Malaysian visitors in the southern border provinces to determine whether they are acting as agents for bookmakers from the across the border, he said.

Malaysia has legalised football betting.

Metropolitan Police said yesterday that they had rounded up 25 people they suspected of gambling on football matches, including four they suspect of being bookmakers.

Police said that during the operation they seized lists of bets placed worth more than Bt200,000 as well as Bt6,400 in cash.

They also said they checked on 122 entertainment venues and 114 other places where football gambling might have taken place, and that they had conducted an awareness campaign against betting at 173 public places.