With World Cup 2010 fever catching up among most Thais, football gambling is also expected to see feverish activity.
The Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (SDRU) held a seminar yesterday to address the issue.
"We have found that many children have placed bets on football results even before they entered universities," Thikha Rittiphan said in his capacity as an SDRU lecturer in charge of students' affairs.
Still, he believed football gambling among youth could be curtailed if everyone in the society - family, parents, teachers and friends - tried to help.
"It's easy to notice who are football gambling addicts. They are prone to carrying sports newspapers with match schedules around and they will likely look sleepy during the day," Thikha said.
An SDRU student, Pamika Chorthong, said she used to place bets on football results during her senior-secondary school years.
"Each bet was just between Bt20 and Bt30. So, back then, I'd never thought that it was a dangerous habit," she said.
She said she had placed the bets just for fun after a senior at her school encouraged her to gamble.
Pamika gave up the habit after seeing one of her friends being pressured to sleep with a man to postpone paying her football-gambling debts.
"Her boyfriend was heavily indebted and he pressured her a lot. Her case has made me realise that gambling is a bad thing," she said.
Yingyai Kongthong, a former football-gambling addict, said it was common for men to use their girlfriends' to provide sexual favours to repay their football-gambling debts.
"Many indebted female students also voluntarily jump into bed if that will clear their own debts," Yingyai said.
Thirawat Suwanthira, an SDRU student, said he started gambling on football results since he was 14.
"After gambling for a long time, I'd known so many people and I'd been given credit," he said.
Thirawat said during lucky times, he used to have up to millions of baht in his hands.
"But on bad days, I'd lose all cash and still owe nearly Bt100,000 to the bookmakers," he recounted, "I even contemplated suicide."
Thirawat said he was living in fear for nearly a month until he could clear all his debts by selling everything he owned.
"To me, only the right attitude can prevent people from football gambling," he said.
According to a Nielsen survey, 40 per cent of Thai consumers described themselves as football fans. Up to 43 per cent of Thais have also intended to follow the World Cup 2010 games.
Most Thais back Brazil to win the prestigious cup.