Growing Not Us To Thailand’s Proposed Gambling Locus

Despite the keen endorsement of Thai political kingmaker and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the southeast Asia country’s much-touted Entertainment Complex Bill, which would legalize gambling, has hit a roadblock of protest and growing opposition.

Now under review by a Special Senate committee, the plan to bring five entertainment casino-resorts to the world’s seventh most popular tourist locus could be shelved until next year — or permanently.

Shinawatra, a business billionaire and former owner of Manchester City F.C., tried in vain to legalise gaming when he was prime minister of Thailand between 2001-2006, before he was ousted in a palace coup and forced into exile; returning in August 2023.

Now, sensing a huge economic opportunity for his nation of 72 million people, which welcomed 35.6 million tourists last year, and with his daughter Paetongtarn in power as current prime minister, he is pushing his dream once again.

But Thailand, despite its reputation as a pleasure ground for white lotus eaters, is also a devout Buddhist country, and there is growing moral and political opposition to the betting bill.

Challenging Macau

Last week thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital, Bangkok, to protest the proposed legislation, which gained cabinet approval earlier this year.

It’s been estimated by Thailand’s prestigious Bank Post newspaper that the five planned casino-resorts could generate over Thai Baht 300 billion in GGR a year, the equivalent of some £6.8 billion (US$9.02bn); putting the kingdom in prime position to challenge the regional gambling primacy of Macau if the Chinese entrepôt is hit by worsening China-U.S. relations.

Thailand is set on a current trend of upscaling its tourist rep as a catchment for low-life sex tourists and low-budget backpackers.

With casino-resorts mooted for Bangkok, Chonburi and Phuket in the south and Chiang Mai in the north, Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai Party-led coalition government is hoping that gambling liberalisation will boost tourism numbers by around 10 percent and create up to 15,000 new jobs.

Nevertheless, adjusting political tack in light of the growing opposition, the prime minister is now playing down the betting element of the bill and emphasising: “Legal casinos would only be allowed to operate in 10 percent of each of the entertainment complexes. And not everywhere in the country, as some have falsely claimed.”

A false dawn for legal gambling in Thailand?

Fascinating stuff.

Watch this space.