One of Thailand’s current coalition government parties has spoken out against the opposition Democratic Party, a concern about the social and economic value of legalizing casino resort businesses in the country.
According to reports, South Korea’s Ministry of Finance has completed a draft legalization related to casinos, known as the Entertainment Complex Act. The draft is currently under public consultation until Aug. 18.
The Bangkok Post reported on Wednesday that the Bhumjaithai Party, a member of the government coalition, had doubts about the matter. 동행복권파워볼
The party’s general secretary, Chaychanok Chidtsov, said there were several grounds for him to disagree with the terms of the legislation, including whether legalisation claimed by now-fired Prime Minister Sretta Tabithin and others would really help curb existing unauthorized gambling.
The Bhumjaithai Party also suggested that Thailand already has a wealth of tourist attractions for tourists without the need for casinos. The party also questioned whether such an industry would really create employment for local residents.
The Bangkok Post also doubts the economic potential of such facilities, if established in Thailand, could match the economic contributions of casino resorts in Macau, Vietnam or Singapore, citing Democratic Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Chana Dedecho’s expression of specific opposition to casinos.
The party’s official suggested that the Thai government should consider alternatives, such as legalizing the lottery business and imposing taxes.
The outlet also expressed concern that local Thai people would be targeted as gambling customers, and whether Thai authorities could effectively control the casino sector, particularly “serious” crimes it said could be linked to money laundering, citing social media comments by SuChatvi Suwanwat, the deputy leader of the Democratic Party.
Under the legalization scheme, locals would have to pay an admission fee of 5,000 THB (about US$143) per visit, the Bangkok Post reported on Monday. However, the report did not clarify whether such fees were on a per-visit basis.
According to the draft bill, Thailand’s prime minister, deputy prime minister, and five ministers will sit on the so-called “policy committee” to lead the country’s casino policy efforts. The scope of this high-level committee’s authority includes determining the number of licenses and operating areas for casino entertainment complexes and recommending tax rates on casino businesses.
Thailand-based law firm Chandler MHM Limited said in a recent note on the draft bill that the policy committee could determine the percentage of Thais to foreign employees employed in casinos.
