File photo for reference only

 

The seaside resort of Hua Hin is emerging as a leading candidate for a legal casino in Thailand if ambitious proposals from MP Udorn Olssen and others are adopted.

 

The issue of a casino will be raised in the house this week.

 

Last week Udorn went on Facebook to argue the case for an "Entertainment Complex" in the resort about 200 kilometers south of the Thai capital Bangkok. 

 

Claiming the support of other parties and local officials he said that the complex would be a boon not just for Hua Hin but the whole country's tourism sector.

 

Thai media has picked up on this and Udorn has elaborated his ideas saying that Thai and foreign investors were ready to put up the money so it was a win-win for the government.

 

Bringing in an expected 4 trillion baht (yes, that's 4,000,000,000,000 baht) the project would raise the profile of Hua Hin to the likes of Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai and some.

 

The city is often described as a more sleepy backwater but all that could change if Hua Hin was selected.

 

Udorn pointed to his entertainment complex having a casino, racing track, theme park and top notch hotels and shopping facilities. 

 

He also noted that recent upgrades to the Hua Hin airport pointed to a good future but that even greater spending could be undertaken to further develop the airport to attract international travellers and high rollers. 

 

In addition he would like to see the ferry from Pattaya and Bang Poo, in Samut Prakan, developed to aid in the transfer of visitors including foreign tourists.

 

He cited the area's tremendous golf facilities and railway developments already nearing completing as major draw factors for foreign tourists.

 

He said that the benefits to Hua Hin would be enormous. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that previous plans to develop the whole coastal area from Hua Hin south were called the "Thai Riviera" - a term that has been absent in Covid era stories when the focus has switched to mere survival rather than future development. 

 

A casino in the area would propel Hua Hin to international "stardom".

 

However, the issue of legalized gambling in Thailand is one of the hottest of political hot potatoes.

 

Many politicians and police are wrapped up in illegal gambling that is rampant in Thailand despite face saving crackdowns.

 

Many will not be holding their breath that calls for a legal casino will be answered as it would affect the revenue stream of the very people making such decisions.  

 

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and the Ambassador Hotel Jomtien ?

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

The seaside resort of Hua Hin is emerging as a leading candidate for a legal casino in Thailand if ambitious proposals from MP Udorn Olssen and others are adopted.

according to him, someone that likely will make a huge ammount of money, nothing like trying to promote your own pocket

nooooooooooooooooooooooooo ????

 

 

"Many politicians and police are wrapped up in illegal gambling that is rampant in Thailand despite face saving crackdowns."

Casino Royale

How well did this work for Sihanoukville?

If the casino comes, what will follow?  Chinese triads, other marfia groups, and .....  Would be time to exit Hua Hin.

Just what Hua Hin needs, hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists streaming all over town. I’ll probably give it a miss for the rest of my life. 

Why ruin the character of Hua Hin? If it turned into a casino town I'd start going elsewhere. 

Chinese will stay in the huge new hotels and condos just built

Not a very bright idea. It would turn this relatively peaceful town into another Macau with far eastern mafia running things.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai media has picked up on this and Udorn has elaborated his ideas saying that Thai and foreign investors were ready to put up the money so it was a win-win for the government.

Thai and Chinese investors... look at the corruption, money laundering and everything else bad that happens in the Casinos in SihanoukvilleCambodia.

In Thailand they will become a den of thieves and worse.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The city is often described as a more sleepy backwater but all that could change if Hua Hin was selected.

Maybe it's charm is not being like Bangkok, Pattaya or other cities..

That's why people go there to get away form the madness.

3 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

How well did this work for Sihanoukville?

Thus, I am encouraging Hua Hin over Chiang Mai. We have the dibs on geographical closeness to China …

33 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

the Casinos in Sihanoukville

Not only Sihanoukville, also in Phnom Penh, Poipet and at locations along the southern border with Vietnam.

2 hours ago, alien365 said:

Why ruin the character of Hua Hin? If it turned into a casino town I'd start going elsewhere. 

It would only HELP Pattaya which is already a sordid location.

That would also take some massive & carefully worded legislation to allow that to happen, people already question the legitimacy of the lottery in a gambling free Thailand, this would open the floodgates for all those "Secret" private casinos, can you imagine the outrage at a law dictating only government sponsered gambling.

 

I think the idea will sink without trace.

Who made this up? The perfect location would have been Pattaya. Hua hin is like the bangkok rich and quiet place, who would want to put a casino there. Some dirty games are played to take market share from Pattaya I guess.

 

Destroy the entire walking street, make it a beautiful extended boulevard with casino and put all the bars back in the empty sois between beach road and second road. More density, less empty shop houses and Boom!

 

The best part is that casino's would be and are able to paying for this renovation on a condition to get the license.

If it does ever happen as Thailand has been talking about casinos for years, are Thais being the gambleholics they are will even be allowed to enter the casinos like Cambodia with no locals allowed.

15 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

It would only HELP Pattaya which is already a sordid location.

True... I like Hua Hin as it is, that's why I go there and not the east coast. Turn it into a Casino city with Thai corruption and Chines dirty money it would be bye bye for me.

 

19 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Who made this up? The perfect location would have been Pattaya. Hua hin is like the bangkok rich and quiet place, who would want to put a casino there. Some dirty games are played to take market share from Pattaya I guess.

 

Destroy the entire walking street, make it a beautiful extended boulevard with casino and put all the bars back in the empty sois between beach road and second road. More density, less empty shop houses and Boom!

 

The best part is that casino's would be and are able to paying for this renovation on a condition to get the license.

Pattaya must be hot favourite for a casino and has probably already been factored into its redevelopment . It is a better location than Hua Hin , being easily reached in an hour or so from Bangkok , or could even see its own airport included in the Pattaya refurb .  I can understand the plea from MP Olssen cos there are big bucks to be made for the benefit of the locals . I believe the casino will get the go ahead  as a one off and a guinea pig . If a success others will follow . Welcome to the 21st century Thailand . To mitigate the fears of local Thais being allowed in to gamble , admission could be by way of passport ( or who you know , if in with the in crowd ) .  But in my opinion Thais should be allowed to gamble if responsible and maybe join with a membership that would mean they would be vetted . 

20 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

It would only HELP Pattaya which is already a sordid location.

No it's not. It's the only modern, cosmopolitan city in Thailand. I suspect you don't come here if you did you just visit the areas you consider sordid

2 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

No it's not. It's the only modern, cosmopolitan city in Thailand. I suspect you don't come here if you did you just visit the areas you consider sordid

I've LIVED in Pattaya for years. It's sordid.

 

Was that an attempt at humor?