Members of the tourism sector welcome the government's policy on integrated entertainment complex development in the hope it will stimulate the economy, suggesting that some laws and regulations be amended to support the cause.
Some, however, doubt whether the project will be worth the impact.
Weerawit Krueasombat, president of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) in Phuket, said he believes it is a good idea to have an integrated complex that includes a casino in a major tourist city.
Such a complex should be developed on a full scale with all matters considered, including tax regulation, to draw in investors and increase money circulating in the country, he said.
He sees Phuket's suburban areas, such as Thalang district near Phuket Airport, as potential sites instead of a downtown zone.
Bring it on
Hua Hin Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul said his serene resort town is also ready to support the development of an entertainment complex, part of the government's man-made tourism policy.
However, if Hua Hin is selected as a location for the megaproject the government should consider expanding the airport to take international flights to attract more foreign tourists, he said.
Mr Nopporn said the economic slowdown has affected the town's man-made attractions such as water parks and amusement parks, causing business operators to suffer financial difficulties.
He urged the government to help push Hua Hin as a key tourism destination and bring in more visitors, suggesting the town could house a sports complex and be a perfect venue for international sports competitions.
Sa-nga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Business Association in Bangkok, said he supports the government's policy to promote tourism via an entertainment complex with a casino, as it could generate huge income for the country.
"If the casino is properly regulated by law, Thailand could become a perfect choice for tourists due to its natural attractions and various entertainment options offering an all-inclusive tourism experience," Mr Sa-nga said.
He said he believes the entertainment complex would be more beneficial if it is built in a secondary city rather than a popular tourist destination which is already beset by international tourists as it would distribute income more thoroughly.
He said revenue from the project could be allocated to help develop other areas of the country, such as education.
Boonanan Pattanasin, president of the Pattaya-Chonburi Business and Tourism Association, said joint ventures between Thai and foreign investors are common in Pattaya.
The city is home to many man-made attractions, such as water parks, amusement parks and dinosaur parks, most of them international joint ventures.
He suggested laws should be put in place to ensure fair competition and control the sources of funding.
"The government also needs to support the operators in terms of laws and regulation, not just encourage them to invest," he said, adding the government also should improve the transport system to bring in more visitors.
Keep the casino at bay
Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) president Thanet Tantipiriyakit said he agreed with the entertainment complex idea but questioned the necessity of a casino.
The PTA, he said, doubted if the casino would have a big impact on tourist numbers, especially repeat visitors. He asked whether the government had conducted a study on such a matter.
"We believe the charm of Phuket lies in its natural beauty, culture and many unique features that have attracted return tourists from around the world and generated economic growth," Mr Thanet said.
He said most renowned casino destinations in the world are built in deserted areas where there are no natural or cultural attractions so they need to build something to draw people in. That was never the case with Phuket.
The PTA was also concerned about the shareholding structure and questioned the requirement for investors to have a registered capital of at least 10 billion baht. "How many Thai companies have this level of capital?" he asked, criticising the rule as being favourable to large companies.
"In the past four decades, Phuket's tourism revenue has grown from tens of millions to hundreds of billions of baht. Many local businesses, especially in the hotel industry, have contributed to this growth by considering long-term impacts.
"If large foreign investors come in, the island's future would be uncertain as investors might just take the profits and leave us the problems," he said.
Mr Thanet said what the locals need is development of infrastructure, such as more roads, better public transport, an adequate water supply, wastewater treatment and waste management.
He also said there are concerns about social impacts and potential harm to residents if a casino is set up.
Mr Weerawit of the PEBA agreed, suggesting that the government come up with clear measures to protect vulnerable locals from falling victim to gambling.
Mr Thanet said that from January to July, Phuket earned 284 billion baht from 7.6 million visitors, with an average hotel booking rate of 82.57%.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimated the island's revenue from the tourism sector this year at 500 billion baht. "This clearly has nothing to do with casinos," Mr Thanet said.
Ready to move forward
Deputy Minister of Finance Julapun Amornvivat recently offered an update on progress of the Entertainment Complex bill, saying some details are being reviewed as they were not in line with the Fiscal Discipline Act.
He added his ministry has no authority to decide how much investment is appropriate for the project or determine who the operators should be, or which location.
However, Mr Julapun confirmed the project is ready to move forward as it has gone through a public hearing and most participants agreed with the plan.
There will be a couple more meetings before the revised bill is submitted to the cabinet for deliberation, he said.
