Casinos in Thailand: PM Prayut breaks silence with 'no'

[freedom4life]

So the underground casino owners and lotteries will breath a sigh of relief.

So, it's better than turning Thailand into a bigger cesspool of crime, degenerates, drugs, loan-sharks etc...get with it guy.

[coulson]

Finally

[northernjohn]

Casinos take money from the poor and uneducated. It's the right decision.

not as much as the illegal gambling rackets do. Prohibition benefits the crooks whilst the elite who can travel and gamble as they wish brush the effects on the poor and uneducated under the carpet and keep the people uneducated.

Well I am defiantly against them having seen the damage they can do.

Never the less you did bring up an interesting point in how much the illegal gambling cost's.

Would you care to provide some facts and figures. Also you might want to show where a legal casino will do less damage to the poor. Seems to me unless you have one in every village it will just cost them more to travel to the few locations where there is a casino.

[northernjohn]

The world's shortest list:

Good things that come from excessive drinking and gambling.

Just thought it was worth reposting

[mitos]

In April I been in Poipet Cambodia border for arrangment MT Visa for 90days. Visit couple Casinos. Rarely I saw farangs...but mostly 99% Thais playing in Casino. Before in 2011 year the same was been In Lao border in Casino mostly Thais.

Strange gov lottery its allowed but casino, onlineCasino, poker, onlinePoker, sportsbook, and etc. its NOT??

Yes I am too for legaization gambling in Thailand and all the world.

[cookee68]

Casinos take money from the poor and uneducated. It's the right decision.

Then they should be educated about such things first

[jacko45k]

Casinos take money from the poor and uneducated. It's the right decision.

And those with more money than sense too.

Let them get on a plane.

[newnative]

Debating casinos and gambling is like debating abortion. People seem to be firmly on one side or the other and it's unlikely they will change their minds. If the big concern is the harm it will do to Thais, then limit casino entrance to foreign passport holders. After all, the reason for the casino is to increase tourism. And, you can't tell me that limiting entrance to foreigners would not be economically feasible. Put out for bids the right to operate the only casino in Pattaya, with a 5 or 10 year time frame monopoly, and I imagine you would get some bidders. I think there are enough tourists and expats in Pattaya, especially with the growing Chinese market, to support one casino and Bangkok is just 2 hours away for day trippers.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Well, I don't see a problem with building a few World Class Casinos in Thailand. Perhaps starting with one in Bangkok, one in Pattaya, and one in Chang Mai. People are going to gamble no matter what you do, just like people drank during Al Capone Days, so maybe it is better to bring it forward and out in the open. With the LOTTO, and Underground LOTTO and Illegal gambling, Thai People do it anyway.

Casinos can be big money makers for the Thai Government, especially when they enjoy such high tourism here. So a lot of this new money can come from tourist and maybe also help loosen the pockets of a few Chinese Tourist. Who are coming here more and more every year. I know that if I was near one that opened, I would visit and probably drop at least $100. Maybe even go back a few times.

I can't see them attracting more tourist, with so many Casinos around these days, but even through private enterprise, by having high Licensing Fee's and Taxes, the government will still make a lot of extra money from them. It will also provide a lot of decent jobs as well. Being government controlled I also think you have a far better assurance that the games are not rigged and you have you fare chance of winning. I wouldn't trust anything else here except perhaps a card game with friends, or people I know.

There are always Pros and Cons about establishments like these. Gambling being an addiction to some is one of them. But since gambling exists here anyway, even if it is underground, I can't see this really causing to much more negative things, which hasn't happened already. So I say go with it. You have the perfect place to have one.

[NickJ]

Wait...it will fill Thaksins War Chest....as he owns all the sites.....where the Casinos would be......