Will opposition derail Thailand casino bill?
The bill was originally slated for review by the Thailand parliament during the legislative session that ended on 9 April. But the Pheu Thai-led government pushed it back until July at the earliest following stiff opposition from many quarters, including coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party.
The Senate, meanwhile, has formed a special committee to study the bill. Members are expected to complete their assessment by October.
The Buddhist kingdom of Thailand now limits gambling to horse racing and a state lottery. Analysts have predicted that legal casinos could eventually add gross gaming revenue (GGR) of up to 308 trillion baht (£7 billion/€8.36 billion/$9.1 billion) per year. That would make Thailand the world’s third-largest gaming market after Macau and Las Vegas.
But critics say the government has tried to fast-track the bill without sufficient study and without weighing the potential negatives. Some complain that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the bill’s supporter-in-chief, is acting at the behest of her father, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who backs legal casinos as well as online gambling.
On 26 March, Paetongtarn faced a no-confidence vote from opposition party leaders who accused her of being Thaksin’s puppet. But she handily survived the challenge with a vote of 319 to 162.
Paetongtarn defends casino legislation
The prime minister recently doubled down on her defense of the legislation, which she says will help revive post-Covid tourism to Thailand.
Entertainment complexes will offer gambling, she acknowledged, “but only 10% of the total area will be dedicated to this purpose. It will not allow anyone to open a casino anywhere in Thailand.
“Each complex will feature several hotels and restaurants, creating jobs for thousands of people,” she added. “This will help boost the local economy, while the profits from the casino will be used to repay the investment costs.”
The government has already selected four locations for five proposed entertainment complexes: Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Phuket and Bangkok. The capital city would host two resorts.
Researcher: Referendum ‘the only solution’
But opposition to the measure, including multiple public protests, continue unabated.
Last month, demonstrators flooded the streets of Bangkok carrying signs and chanting anti-casino slogans. They said they had sent a petition with 100,000 signatures to Paetongtarn, demanding the government reconsider its casino plan.
Another protest was led by former “red shirt” political activist Jatuporn Prompan. He told the Bangkok Post that casinos and online gambling “will ruin our nation and weaken our people”.
Political science researcher Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Thailand Office of Innovation for Democracy, told the Post the public deserves to have its say. “The government is trying to push the bill and then backs off when facing opposition,” he said. “A referendum is the only solution.”
Paetongtarn, meanwhile, agrees the plan merits further evaluation but is still on the table.
“Let all issues be thoroughly examined first,” she said last month. “Because Thailand has never had casinos before.”