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Read Full BioA controversial new casino legalization bill is threatening to bring down the ruling Thai coalition, experts in the nation have warned.
The Bangkok Post called the bill a “political time-bomb” for the Pheu Thai-led government coalition ahead of a parliamentary vote.
Lawmakers were due to vote on the bill on April 9. However, the government has since decided to delay a decision until the next parliamentary session. Parliament will reconvene in early July after a summer break.
Thai Casino Bill: Coalition Parties at a Crossroads
The cabinet approved the bill in late March. However, the government has since promised that a committee of lawmakers will conduct a detailed review ahead of a second reading.
Critics have accused the government of fast-tracking the bill. The draft law seeks to legalize casinos operating exclusively in special entertainment complexes.
Backlash has been fierce in parliament and beyond. This month, demonstrators who oppose the bill gathered outside the parliament building in Bangkok to express their displeasure.
Bhumjaithai Party Decision Key
The political tensions center mainly on the stance of the Bhumjaithai Party, the coalition’s second-largest political grouping.
The Bhumjaithai Secretary-General, Chaichanok Chidchob, has already declared his opposition to the bill. If Bhumjaithai distances itself from it, it would need to exit the coalition and surrender control of the Interior Ministry.
That would leave the Pheu Thai-led government with a tiny majority in parliament, forcing it to begin bargaining with smaller parties for the support required to see out its term.
However, if Bhumjaithai supports the bill, the media outlet wrote, “the entire government will become a target for critics who oppose casinos.”
Thanaporn Sriyakul, the head of the Political and Public Policy Analysis Institute, said Bhumjaithai would “face setbacks no matter what decision it makes.”
Thai Casino Bill ‘Could Boost Treasury Coffers by $8.5B’
Advocates believe the bill could provide the Treasury and businesses with an essential financial boost.
The government wants to reduce the economy’s dependency on seasonal tourism. It thinks the move will boost foreign tourism by up to 10%, which could boost incomes by as much as $8.5 billion per year.
Advocates envisage a new network of complexes including various non-gambling facilities. These include hotels, water parks, concert halls, and indoor sports arenas. Casinos would operate in just 10% of the complexes’ space.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has claimed the government will continue to take public input. She also vowed to communicate the bill’s aims clearly. Opponents, however, want the government to abandon it altogether.
Police Raid on Gambling Venue Unearths Drugs and Military Weapons
Meanwhile, Thai police say they found evidence of illicit gambling, alongside drugs and “war weapons” in an illegal entertainment complex for workers from Myanmar.
The same media outlet wrote that 200 police officers raided the complex. Officers said it was housed in a rented warehouse in Samut Sakhon’s Mueang Samut Sakhon district.
Police said they discovered narcotics hidden in a sofa and the corners of the warehouse’s rooms. They also said they found “military-grade guns and ammunition” at the site.
The Governor of Samut Sakhon said that police launched an operation after learning that a Myanmar national was using the warehouse to house 150 fellow Myanmar nationals.
Last month, the Royal Thai Police announced plans to launch a special task force to fight IT crimes and human trafficking in border areas.
The move came after a UN agency warned that major international crime groups have infiltrated casino and betting operations in Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations.
