Pansy Ho, the chairperson and executive director of MGM China Holdings, has held a meeting with the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thapanee Kiatphaibool, and expressed interest in investing in the kingdom, according to the Bangkok Post.
The paper said that the TAT would hold further talks with the Macao casino operator over “possible collaboration” in the development of “new tourism-related products.”
Casinos are currently illegal in Thailand, but the government is considering a casino bill and the establishment of a large entertainment complex that includes gambling. At present, many Thais cross the border to gamble in Cambodia, spending money that could otherwise be kept in Thailand.
[See more: Thailand plans to criminalise recreational cannabis again]
“We do not want to promote gambling, but would rather supervise it and use the investment to create jobs,” Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media in March.
At present, the only legal gambling in Thailand consists of state-run horse races and the lottery.
The establishment of casinos in Thailand could potentially turn it into a serious competitor for Macao. The kingdom welcomed 3.5 million Chinese tourists last year.
