Thailand Advances Toward Legalising Casinos to Boost Tourism

[webfact]

 

Thailand is moving forward with plans to legalise casinos, aiming to enhance its appeal as a top tourism destination and attract substantial foreign investment. The Council of State, the government’s legal agency, has released draft rules for public feedback.

 

These rules propose a 30-year licence for casinos, with the possibility of a 10-year extension. These casinos would be part of expansive entertainment complexes, featuring hotels, convention centres, and amusement parks.

 

The shift aligns Thailand with nations like Japan and the United Arab Emirates, which are keen to tap into the lucrative global casino market. This market generated $263 billion in revenue last year, according to IBIS World.

 

Major industry players, including Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd and MGM Resorts International, have shown interest in establishing casino resorts in Thailand. Las Vegas Sands Corp has also expressed willingness to expand into the Thai market if the opportunity arises, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who assumed office less than a year ago, is vigorously promoting policies to attract foreign investments. He supports the casino legalisation plan for its potential to ensure better oversight and tax revenue collection. Thailand's House of Representatives has endorsed a study advocating the establishment of legalised casinos within large entertainment venues to attract affluent tourists.

 

The study projects a potential increase in tourism revenue by approximately 12 billion baht through legalising these casinos.

 

Despite its majority Buddhist and traditionally conservative society, Thailand is gradually adopting a more liberal stance to revive its tourism sector, which was hit hard by the pandemic. In 2022, Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalise cannabis and is on track to be the first in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriages.

 

The draft bill details that these entertainment venues should be situated in government-designated locations and managed by Thailand-registered companies with a minimum paid-up capital of 10 billion baht. Likely destinations for these complexes include Greater Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Chonburi's beach resort Pattaya.

 

Tourism is critical to Thailand, accounting for about 20% of jobs and 12% of its $500 billion economy. This year, foreign arrivals surged by around 34% to over 20 million compared to the same period in 2023.

 

Casino - Roulette. Picture courtesy: Ralf Roletschek, Wikipedia

 

-- 2024-08-05

 

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[2baht]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand is moving forward with plans to legalise casinos

I bet they don't!

[DonniePeverley]

BOOST TOURISM ?!

 

They already going to break the record with 40 million tourists. 

 

What do they want an island wall to wall tourists?

 

Have they not seen the wreckage casinos made in certain areas of Cambodia ? They destroyed some brilliant places. 

[Emdog]

Another great avenue for money laundering and record breaking corruption. Licking their chops

[Pouatchee]

casinos in weed out. i wonder which one destroys families and is more addictive?

they are going to shut down thousands of businesses in order to make a few casinos that will be easier to control gvt wise

[watchcat]

5 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

i wonder which one destroys families and is more addictive?

 

Alcohol.

[PJ71]

I've been hearing this for 25 years.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is moving forward with plans to legalise casinos, aiming to enhance its appeal as a top tourism destination and attract substantial foreign investment. The Council of State, the government’s legal agency, has released draft rules for public feedback.

 

These rules propose a 30-year licence for casinos, with the possibility of a 10-year extension

So are hey saying they want foreign investment to fund the casinos?

Here comes China and all the dirt that Casinos will attract.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, 2baht said:

I bet they don't!

They're broke, they will.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

What do they want an island wall to wall tourists?

It's all they've got now.

[Nickcage49]

What could possibly go wrong?

[nakhonandy]

5 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

BOOST TOURISM ?!

 

They already going to break the record with 40 million tourists. 

 

What do they want an island wall to wall tourists?

 

Have they not seen the wreckage casinos made in certain areas of Cambodia ? They destroyed some brilliant places. 

I'm not sure they care, money rules.

[Photoguy21]

It wont increase tourism. It will increase gang and criminal activity. Maybe they should read the notice at Poi Pet when you leave Thailand.

[nong38]

What they really need to attract tourists are Bingo Halls.

[john donson]

thailand, the new macao, province of china

[jaideedave]

7 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

BOOST TOURISM ?!

 

They already going to break the record with 40 million tourists. 

 

What do they want an island wall to wall tourists?

 

Have they not seen the wreckage casinos made in certain areas of Cambodia ? They destroyed some brilliant places. 

VG point..I've visited Sihanoukville ,Cambodia years ago. Devastaion is amazing from what I've seen in the media. 

[BarraMarra]

Yet your grassed up by Concerned Netizens ( locals ) if your playing cards.

[Guitar God]

Why don't they just let the cops have a piece of that to replace the money they're losing off of legal weed and leave ganja alone?

[Gaccha]

One of the major reasons for these casinos was to put an end to the underground casinos across Thailand. But since the plan is to severely limit Thai access to only those with large enough bank accounts so the underground casinos will continue.

 

Which means the corruption will continue; think of all those "unusually wealthy" police officers.

[Maestro]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

...The Council of State, the government’s legal agency, has released draft rules for public feedback...

 

Every so often we see a news article mentioning the draft of a planned new law or new rules being "released for public feedback"

 

How does this work? Is the text published in the Thai news media with an address for sending one's feedback?

[newnative]

If this is 'advancing' it's at a snail's pace.

[connda]

But you can't buy beer between 2pm to 5pm.

[connda]

The uber-riche and wealthy can buy in and make a fortune.  But anyone betting on cock-fights will face prison time.
That's about right, yeah?

[connda]

17 hours ago, Gaccha said:

One of the major reasons for these casinos was to put an end to the underground casinos across Thailand. But since the plan is to severely limit Thai access to only those with large enough bank accounts so the underground casinos will continue.

Bingo!