It may be no coincidence that shortly after Paetongtarn Shinawatra was sworn in as Prime Minister of Thailand, the country gave the green light for the construction of its first official casino destination, even though gambling is still illegal. 

There has been controversy and uncertainty over whether the country finally legalises casinos and gives a much-needed boost to the struggling economy with the former Prime Minister being ousted and an ongoing consultation on casinos, which has equal amounts of support and opposition.  

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Public Hearing Showed 80% Support for Mega Entertainment Complex  

Despite a lengthy consultation process, it appears that the results of the public consultation yielded strong support, enough for the creation of a large entertainment complex offering gambling, according to Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, who said, “The conclusion of a public hearing conducted online over a bill to establish a “mega entertainment complex” housing a casino showed 80% of participants agreed with the plan.” 

The Deputy Finance Minister added, “We will now adjust the bill based on the feedback; discuss this with our coalition partners before sending it to cabinet for approval.”  

There have been strong challenges to the legalisation of gambling in the mainly Buddhist country and from the Conservative politicians. Successive governments have failed to get the bill, which is centred on the creation of a broader entertainment complex effectively legalising casinos, despite highlighting the benefits of attracting more foreign tourists and generating jobs and vast sums of money for the economy.  

Billionaire Backs Casino Plan to Strengthen Economy 

Some may view the change in direction with suspicion given that the main advocate for legalising gambling is the influential billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whose youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra is now Prime Minister. 

Mr. Shinawatra recently made a case for backing the casino plan, noting the potential benefits from regulating and taxing online gambling and formalising the larger underground economy. He argued that Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar, and the Philippines have legalised casinos that cater to Thai customers.