Thailand casino bill a casualty of political shakeup?
On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court of Thailand suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra — a proponent of casino resort development in the country — pending an ethics investigation.
The young premier, in power for less than a year, is under fire for seeming to appease Cambodian despot Hun Sen at the expense of her own military.
Starting with a border skirmish
In May, armed forces from both sides clashed along a disputed section of the border at the Emerald Triangle. A Cambodian soldier died in the skirmish.
In the 15 June recorded exchange with Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former prime minister, Paetongtarn criticised the response of a Thai army commander in the incident, saying he “just wants to look cool”.
The officer “will say things that are not beneficial to the nation”, she continued in the leaked 17-minute conversation. “What we want is to have peace just like before any clashes happened at the border.”
Addressing Hun Sen as “uncle”, she added, “If you want anything, just tell me, and I’ll take care of it.”
The call sparked nationwide outrage. Protestors flocked by the thousands to the Government House in Bangkok to demand Paetongtarn’s resignation. According to the Bangkok Post, in a recent poll her approval rating flatlined at a dismal 9.2%.
Paetongtarn apologized for the call but defended it as a “negotiation tactic”. Her approach was “political theatre”, she insisted, “not a statement of allegiance”.
If forced to exit, the 38-year-old would be the fifth premier in 16 years to leave under duress. Paetongtarn’s own father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted in a military coup in 2006.
Casino legislation on the back burner
The crisis could derail Thailand’s ambitious Entertainment Complex Bill, of which Paetongtarn is a chief supporter.
The bill would legalise up to five casino resorts in regions like Chiang Mai, Phuket and Chonburi as well as Bangkok. Six global gaming operators are reportedly interested in the new market. They include three of six Macau concessionaires: Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment and MGM Resorts International.
But critics fear legal gambling would bring vice and organised crime and increase the risk of gambling addiction. In June, a network of civic groups submitted a petition with almost 54,000 signatures to the Thailand Election Commission, asking for a referendum on the proposal.
With Paetongtarn’s future in question and Thailand still wrestling with the prospect of new US tariffs, the bill could stall indefinitely. A planned July 3 House debate on the measure has already been pushed back by at least one month.
Meanwhile, Hun Sen apparently is not rooting for Paetongtarn’s political survival. According to The Diplomat, in a televised address on 27 June, he said, “I hope there will be a new prime minister in Thailand who will come out and solve issues with neighbouring countries, especially with Cambodia.”