Thailand’s committee in charge of the casino entertainment complex project has revealed that Bangkok, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, and Phuket will be the first locations, despite some public criticism.
Nikom Boonwiset, the committee’s vice-chairman, shared on Thursday that these four major tourist hubs have been chosen as the initial sites for the project.
Mr. Nikom, a member of the Pheu Thai Party, explained that the 500-billion-baht initiative aims to draw over 50 million visitors annually and create at least 40,000 jobs, providing a significant boost to Thailand’s economy .
He also noted that international investors have shown strong interest in the project. Each complex is planned to include a luxury hotel, a high-end shopping mall, an amusement park, a sports arena, a convention centre, and a large exhibition hall. Less than 10% of the total space will be dedicated to the casino itself.
However, Mr. Nikom addressed concerns that critics have led the public to view the project as solely focused on casinos, attributing this to bias against the government.
The Entertainment Complex Bill was initially set to be reviewed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday but was delayed. The Ministry of Finance is currently gathering public feedback through its website, with submissions open until Friday.
According to insiders, protest groups have raised objections, submitting formal letters to Government House. As a result, the ministry is expected to revise the draft and resubmit it to the cabinet after considering public input.
Casino Opposition in Thailand
Meanwhile, Thanakorn Khomkrit, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation , has voiced concerns about the bill. He pointed out that the current draft has loopholes and lacks robust measures to prevent young people from developing gambling habits.
Thanakorn highlighted vague regulations in the bill, such as unclear limits on the number and size of casino facilities, as well as insufficient details on licensing fees and tax rates.
He also criticised a clause allowing casino operators to partner with other businesses to support their operations, warning that this could lead to money laundering through unregulated services like junket operations.
Meanwhile, Thanakorn Komkris, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation, pointed out several issues within the Entertainment Complex Bill. He noted that the bill fails to define the size of casinos within entertainment complexes.
Another concern, he said, was the reported removal of the term “five-star” from hotel-related clauses and “comprehensive” from those about department stores.
Thanakorn also warned that the bill could give excessive authority to the Entertainment Complex Policy Committee, chaired by the prime minister. “This committee would have the power to grant entertainment complex licences to any operator without a bidding process,” he explained.
He further noted that while the bill caps licensing fees at 5 billion baht and renewal fees at 1 billion baht annually, it does not set minimum fees.
“This lack of a minimum fee also applies to the entry fee for Thais, which mentions a maximum of 5,000 baht but no minimum,” he added.
Thanakorn also flagged Article 21, which covers tax revenue from casinos. The final section allows the Office of Entertainment Complexes to submit “revenue after expenses” to the Treasury, instead of clearly stating a fixed percentage to be contributed.
He argued this goes against the existing rule for the state lottery, which mandates that 23% of revenue must go to the government.
Assoc Prof Nualnoi Treerat, head of the Centre for Gambling Studies at Chulalongkorn University, stressed that most countries with casinos enforce strict regulations to reduce social harms. She shared concerns about the extensive power granted to the Entertainment Complex Policy Committee.
“If the law concentrates so much authority in one committee, there’s no guarantee these complexes will deliver maximum benefits while minimizing harm,” she said.
Nualnoi also warned that opening casinos in Thailand could lead to an increase in gambling addiction, particularly among vulnerable groups. She highlighted the risk of casinos being used for money laundering and urged for strict regulations from the start.
“If these issues are ignored, the consequences could spiral out of control,” she cautioned.
