Thai lawmakers have delayed debate on the country’s contentious casino bill by about a month, with discussions now expected to take place in early August. The debate was originally scheduled for 3 July.
Pheu Thai MP and spokesman Danuporn Punnakanta announced the postponement, while reaffirming that the Entertainment Complex Bill remained a priority aimed at boosting tourism through the building of casino-resorts. The legislation has faced resistance both within the government and from segments of Thai society, the Bangkok Post reports.
In the interim, Punnakanta said the ruling Pheu Thai party – which holds a narrow parliamentary majority – was working with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to develop safeguards against gambling addiction among the local population.
He added that Thailand was looking to regional casino hubs such as Macao and Singapore for insights into how to minimise the social harms of gambling.
[See more: Thailand plans to recriminalise recreational cannabis use amid health concerns]
Punnakanta has denied that the debate’s postponement had anything to do with the recent departure of the Bhumjaithai Party from Thailand’s ruling coalition, a move related to a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia. The country’s Bhumjaithai-dominated senate recently urged the government to withdraw the bill entirely – claiming that it could violate Thailand’s constitution, the Bangkok Post reported.
Parliamentary debate over the Entertainment Complex Bill was last delayed in April, when Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced that the government had “more urgent matters” to focus on, including US President Donald Trump’s landmark reciprocal tariff announcement.
Casinos are currently illegal in Thailand. The bill aims to see five casinos established across the kingdom in areas such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. This would increase regional competition and potentially draw mainland Chinese gamblers away from Macao.
Melco, one of the SAR’s six gaming concessionaires, has already opened a representative office in Bangkok with the intention of establishing a casino-resort should the Entertainment Complex Bill pass.
