The government will move ahead with plans for a mega entertainment complex that would house casinos in Thailand, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said on Thursday.
A public hearing has concluded and 80% of those who attended agreed with the plan, Mr Julapun said.
Mr Julapun, a key member of the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party, said the public hearing was organised for concerned parties to discuss the entertainment complex bill drafted by the Ministry of Finance. The bill will legalise entertainment complexes of which casinos will form a part.
The bill would be adjusted to include useful content from participants' remarks during the hearing, he said.
The revised bill would be submitted to the cabinet for coalition parties to decide whether to support it. If they express their support, the bill will proceed to the Council of State for scrutiny before being proposed to the House of Representatives, the deputy minister added.
Most forms of gambling are currently illegal in the kingdom, though underground betting is rampant. State-controlled horse races and an official lottery are permitted.
A woman examines lottery tickets on sale near Ratchabophit temple in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok. Thailand is a Buddhist nation where gambling does not align with Buddhist precepts. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)
The Finance Ministry study last month showed that the government's proposed entertainment complex project, which includes a casino, is expected to attract primarily Thai gamblers, accounting for up to 90% of customers.
According to a Finance Ministry source, companies seeking a concession for an entertainment complex must be limited or public limited companies with registered capital of at least 10 billion baht.
These companies must obtain a licence from the Entertainment Complex Policy Committee.
A licence lasts 30 years and may be renewed for up to 10 years at a time. The licence fee is 5 billion baht per licence, with an annual fee of 1 billion baht.
The casino entrance fee for Thais will not exceed 5,000 baht per person, according to the source.
Several administrations have pushed to legalise gambling before to try to boost jobs and state revenues and draw more foreign tourists. However, each attempt met pushback from conservatives in the Buddhist majority country.
Pheu Thai has argued Thailand has fallen behind its neighbours in the gaming industry. Thaksin Shinawatra, father of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is widely seen as a major force behind her government.
In a dinner speech last month, Thaksin stressed on the potential benefits from regulating and taxing online gambling and formalising the larger underground economy.
In Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar and the Philippines have legalised casinos, some of which are located on the other side of Thailand's borders, catering overwhelmingly to Thai and Chinese customers, many on weekend junkets.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat arrives at Government House, Bangkok. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
