Casino cities in Thailand named

Protesters rally against the government’s draft law to establish casino entertainment complexes, in front of Government House on March 11. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
Protesters rally against the government’s draft law to establish casino entertainment complexes, in front of Government House on March 11. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)

The special committee overseeing the entertainment complex project has announced that Bangkok, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Phuket will be the first four locations, amid public criticism.

The committee said that the 500-billion-baht project is expected to attract at least 50 million visitors annually and create at least 40,000 jobs.

Each complex will feature a five-star hotel, a world-class shopping mall, an amusement park, a sports arena, a convention hall and a large exhibition centre, with less than 10% of the space being allocated for a casino. 

The Entertainment Complex Bill was originally due to be presented at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

However, the presentation had to be postponed because the Ministry of Finance is currently receiving public feedback through its website until Friday.

According to a source, there were growing concerns from protest groups.

Meanwhile, the Stop Gambling Foundation has criticised the current version of the Entertainment Complex Bill for containing loopholes and lacking tight measures to prevent young people who gamble from developing a gambling habit.

Vocabulary

  • allocate (verb): to give out an amount of or share of something - แบ่งส่วน
  • amid: at the same time as - ท่ามกลาง
  • committee: a group of people who are chosen, usually by a larger group, to make decisions or to deal with a particular subject - คณะกรรมการ
  • complex: an area that has several parts - พื้นที่ประกอบด้วยส่วนต่าง ๆ
  • concern: interest or worry - ความสนใจ, ความกังวล
  • criticism: comments that show that you think something is wrong or bad - การวิจารณ์
  • feedback: advice, criticism or information about how good or useful something or somebody's work is - ผลสะท้อนกลับ,การตอบกลับ
  • gambling: the activity of betting money, for example in a game or on a horse race - การพนัน
  • loophole: a small mistake in an agreement or law which gives someone the chance to avoid having to do something - ช่องโหว่ในกฎหมาย, จุดอ่อน, ข้อบกพร่อง
  • measures: actions that are intended to achieve or deal with something - มาตราการ
  • postponed: delayed; decided that something will be done at a later time - เลื่อนออกไป

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