Thailand legalizes casinos, attracting tourism and investment

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announces the Cabinet 's decision to approve a bill to legalize casinos and entertainment complexes - Photo: BANGKOK POST

On March 27, the Thai Cabinet approved a bill to legalize casinos, allowing casinos to occupy up to 10% of the area of ​​entertainment complexes. The aim is to attract more tourists, create more jobs for locals, and boost government revenue.

To date, most forms of gambling are banned in Thailand, except for horse racing (which is state-run and controlled), lotteries and some sports.

The Thai government hopes that the bill to legalize casinos will help the “Land of Golden Pagodas” gain at least 100 billion baht (more than 2.9 billion USD) in investment, while increasing the number of tourists annually by 5% to 10%, generating revenue of more than 12 billion baht (more than 353 million USD) per year.

Speaking to reporters on March 27, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that the details of the bill could still change, as the National Assembly would be the one to decide on the final content.

The casino legalization bill will then move to the House of Representatives. If passed by the House of Representatives, the bill will need the approval of the Senate and the King to be officially passed.

Is it difficult for Thai people to enter casinos?

According to the draft law, to be able to enter a casino, each player must pay an entrance fee of 5,000 baht (about 147 USD), and must also prove that they have a bank account with at least 50 million baht (more than 147,000 USD).

However, some officials say such financial requirements will prevent a large portion of Thais from entering casinos.

Earlier in March, Thailand's Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said Bangkok could consider removing financial requirements for Thai citizens, amid concerns that the requirements would deter Thais from gambling in casinos.

In addition, some officials and citizens of this country also pointed out another limitation in the draft law: the casino area can only occupy a maximum of 10% of the total space of the entertainment complex.

According to Mr. Amornvivat, Thai officials decided to submit the draft to legalize casinos to the Cabinet first and will change the unreasonable points later.

In fact, some countries in Southeast Asia have legalized casinos and earned huge revenues. Singapore has successfully attracted global entertainment giants such as Las Vegas Sands, a casino and resort operator, to invest in the country, despite the relatively difficult regulations of the "lion island" government.

Wave of protests against casino legalization in Thailand

Protesters in front of the Government House in Bangkok, protesting the legalization of casinos - Photo: BANGKOK POST

According to the Bangkok Post , a recent public opinion poll shows that the majority of Thais are concerned about the negative impacts that could arise from the legalization of casinos and entertainment complexes.

On March 27, about 80 people gathered to protest in front of the Government building in Bangkok, the capital, against the legalization of casinos.

“Encouraging vices is like luring people to follow the wrong path, going against the right trend of promoting the improvement of the quality of life to enhance the welfare of the people,” said Pichit Chaimongkol, the leader of the protest.

The opposition People's Party (PP) pointed out that legalizing casinos may not have much impact on Thailand's economy and tourism, if China restricts its citizens from coming to Thailand.

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UYEN PHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thai-lan-thong-qua-du-luat-hop-phap-hoa-song-bac-20250329105358209.htm