Casinos in Thailand?

[Inspire]

Casinos in Thailand?

Orlando Barton

 

 

In light of recent events, many journalists have thought it appropriate to dust off the old “Casinos in Thailand” debate. If you are new to this issue here is a refresher: We were well on our way to getting casino gambling in one form or another about 10 years ago. Due to economic tidal waves and strong opposition by the most influential individuals in the country, the whole issue got moth-balled.

 

For those in the “yes to casinos” camp, the argument is simple. Proper casinos in Thailand would create thousands of jobs and breathe economic life into areas suffering economic strife. The flagging tourism industry could use the attraction of casinos to more effectively compete for tourists in the Southeast Asia region. The much sought after “high value tourist” like those visiting Macau and Singapore would be immediately attracted to new casinos in Thailand.

 

Proponents of casinos in Thailand also point to the massive outflow of money to neighboring countries that have legalized gambling like Cambodia and Malaysia. They also talk about to the rampant scourge of illegal gambling dens here in Thailand and say legal gambling is the best way to combat it.

 

The logical answer to the casino supporters isn’t “Oh my … no, no, no … gambling is immoral and sinful therefore we shouldn’t do it”. If we used that rationale half of Pattaya would be unemployed. The real argument against legal gambling is to question its ability to meet economic needs.

 

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/casinos-thailand/

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Inspire Pattaya 2016-12-11

[al007]

Casinos came to the UK a long tme ago, the Playboy on Park lane was one of the earlier ones

 

I was involved with running Casinos for a while and the control and regulations were very tight and in the beginning foreigners were not allowed to control or own, these regulations were well enforced, as was no alcohol on the tables, but available at the bar

 

London was for a while the number one location, it was quite common for some of the high roller to drop $500,000 in a night, the owners did well and so did the UK government, there were large taxes to pay twice yearly on the casino based on tables, and then tax on profits as well

 

London Casinos stayed clear of the bad elements controlling and owning

 

The problem for Thailand is before starting; the whole country is corrupt, so how can corruption be kept away from casinos

 

I still believe properly run casinos in Thailand would benefit both the country and tourism, and maybe put out of business the illegal gambling dens

[realenglish1]

Canad the United States Britain and other European countries have casinos that are fun to the benefit of the people. Most in those countries are void of 

the mafia in the 21st century It is a corporate world now .

If run correctly casinos in Thailand would be a windfall for the people 

Set up a ministry  for this purpose  to oversea it 

If they can run casinos in China then its time to have them here as well

Casinos will attract monied people 

[champers]

I wasn't aware that mainland China had casinos. Hence the popularity with the Chinese for Macao, Lao, Singapore and Cambodia. The Chinese have a fast growing chain of casinos in the UK.

 

[Orac]

I have seen very little from official sources on this and a huge volume of noise from Pattaya based media operations who gain a lot of advertising revenue from real estate operators so possibly a lot of wishful thinking going on here.

[Old Croc]

I've heard for many years that a casino was planned for Phuket, but was put off until certain events came to pass. A small, close, offshore island had even been identified as the likely venue.

Rumours are now resurfacing. It would certainly add new impetus to the declining tourist scene here.

[georgemandm]

Casino in thailand how stupid would that be , the place has poor people everywhere and a casino would  destroy thai people . 

 

have you all not seen what casino do to people , it destroy people's  lives.

melbourne Australia has had them for years and now , it was the worst think for that city  , criminals , money laundering the lot , and you forget the  suicide rate go's up     Crime  increases by fold .

you can see now how Thais  Gamble on the lotteries , like made , and go  across the border to Cambodia to lose all their money.

I think it is a very bad idea but not much I can do , not my country.

 

[Nurseynutcase]

If and it's a big IF the casinos were properly regulated, then i am all for it.

 

BUT how long would it be before various elements wanted their 'take'?

 

this happened to us in the UK when my husband took over a casino in the north of England and the local mafia wanted their drinks, food and to provide 'security' for the casino.  Fortunately my husband worked for a large company and with their backing and the police was able to 'face down' such threats.  But it was not nice when both our lives were 'threatened' for non-co-operation'  We won though.

 

so yes intimidation etc can happen anywhere in the world.

[Caxa]

Quote

I have seen very little from official sources on this and a huge volume of noise from Pattaya based media operations who gain a lot of advertising revenue from real estate operators

I couldn't agree more.

The only people who seem to hear these rumours are are connected with selling land/property, and the only people who propagate them are media outlets who think readers are so dumb they can't spot an advert disguised as a news item.

[lungnorm]

Yes I can just imagine making an application to the Junta to operate a casino. Just imagine a casino with as many massage tables as blackjack tables. 

[Jedsada3]

In 1945, in order to generate income during the war period, the Siam government decided to open an official casino. But the Thais began to neglect work and family to indulge in the game to such an extent that the country's economy was in peril. The government decided to close the casino a few months after the opening.

As a Siam coins collector, I have the chance to own an old casino chip.

You can observe a Phoenix (official emblem of the Thai Ministry of Finance).

and the lettering: สถานกาซิโน = Center Casino and กระทรวงการคลัง = Ministry of Finance.
On the edge of the coin there is a serial number.

[gios50hk]

3 hours ago, al007 said:

Casinos came to the UK a long tme ago, the Playboy on Park lane was one of the earlier ones

 

I was involved with running Casinos for a while and the control and regulations were very tight and in the beginning foreigners were not allowed to control or own, these regulations were well enforced, as was no alcohol on the tables, but available at the bar

 

London was for a while the number one location, it was quite common for some of the high roller to drop $500,000 in a night, the owners did well and so did the UK government, there were large taxes to pay twice yearly on the casino based on tables, and then tax on profits as well

 

London Casinos stayed clear of the bad elements controlling and owning

 

The problem for Thailand is before starting; the whole country is corrupt, so how can corruption be kept away from casinos

 

I still believe properly run casinos in Thailand would benefit both the country and tourism, and maybe put out of business the illegal gambling dens

I cannot think of a worse possible combination then rampantly corrupt Thailand and the 'elements' historically involved in the gambling & casino industries! I imagine that at this very moment, countless public and government officials, police officers et al are literally drooling at the mouth at the prospect!

[Thaidream]

It will never happen. There are plenty of illegal casinos now in Thailand and the powers that be certainly do not want regulation of any kind.

[newnative]

I might be more surprised if casinos DIDN'T come to Pattaya at some point.  Remember the General didn't rule them out when asked; instead, he said it needed further study.  There's a ton of development going on in Pattaya, maybe more so than what might be warranted with just normal tourism/population growth.  The Terminal 21 project alone is massive and everywhere you look there are new hotels going up, large and small.  Maybe they are in the know.  By the way, the Central Center renovation, now almost done, looks to be much more than a minimal Band-Aid fix.  Brand new large buildings in the front, big, new parking garages, new outdoor areas, new landscaping, new A/C, skylights, etc., and a name change to Central Marina.  Haven't been inside yet but judging from the outside it looks like it will be quite an upgrade from what was there before.

[GOLDBUGGY]

No doubt that a Casino in Thailand (or a few) if it can be regulated to keep everyone honest, would create several good jobs in the hospitality industry, significantly increase tourism to that city, and provide a very good tax revenue for the government. So all around a Win Win for everyone involved.

 

However, Gambling is addictive and along with that comes a new set of problems. How that is so I have no idea. But I do know people who were hooked on gambling and hooked badly. You can lose more money in a hour on a Slot Machine then you can with a month of drinking.

 

Of course you could also regulate who you allow in your Casino by producing your passport with guest, and keeping the problem out of Thailand. Or at least not adding to it. So I am really surprised they haven't taken this extra step yet and haven't open a Casino here yet.  

[GOLDBUGGY]

2 hours ago, Thaidream said:

It will never happen. There are plenty of illegal casinos now in Thailand and the powers that be certainly do not want regulation of any kind.

Who says this has to change just because they open a Casio?

 

You can regulate your Casino so that only Foreigners with there Guest can enter on their passport, keeping Casinos out of range for the average Thai. If the so choose. I have seen this done in Poland.

 

So if that is the case the gambling dens can still be going strong as I doubt many foreign tourist would go to one. I have lived here for years and I never have been in one no have the desire to visit one. 

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, Thaidream said:

It will never happen. There are plenty of illegal casinos now in Thailand and the powers that be certainly do not want regulation of any kind.

 

Indeed. The very people that would need to authorise casinos are the same people that would lose billions of baht from the illegal casinos that already exist. And that is the reason that, alone among neighbouring countries, Thailand does not allow legal casinos. The authorities meanwhile insult their own people by saying that they would not be able to control their gambling and would fall into debt. But that applies everywhere.

[smotherb]

10 hours ago, georgemandm said:

Casino in thailand how stupid would that be , the place has poor people everywhere and a casino would  destroy thai people . 

 

have you all not seen what casino do to people , it destroy people's  lives.

melbourne Australia has had them for years and now , it was the worst think for that city  , criminals , money laundering the lot , and you forget the  suicide rate go's up     Crime  increases by fold .

you can see now how Thais  Gamble on the lotteries , like made , and go  across the border to Cambodia to lose all their money.

I think it is a very bad idea but not much I can do , not my country.

 

Gambling destroys people's lives just as alcohol destroys people's lives--if you can handle it you don't get destroyed--you may also fill in the word for any other vice into that sentence.

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, Caxa said:

I couldn't agree more.

The only people who seem to hear these rumours are are connected with selling land/property, and the only people who propagate them are media outlets who think readers are so dumb they can't spot an advert disguised as a news item.

Well if it goes that way,  I hope the value of ,my home will go up, and I will sell up and move on!

Not a fan of casino style gambling, it seems to take advantage of those who are weakest.

If they have gambling in all these surrounding countries and at border points, there is no shortage of availability in the area. Thais who would gamble locally may be better served using their money for better purpose.

[georgemandm]

7 hours ago, smotherb said:

Gambling destroys people's lives just as alcohol destroys people's lives--if you can handle it you don't get destroyed--you may also fill in the word for any other vice into that sentence.

I agree with you but if thailand gets casino 

that will be the end of the land of smiles.

[Berkshire]

On 12/11/2016 at 0:23 PM, realenglish1 said:

Canad the United States Britain and other European countries have casinos that are fun to the benefit of the people. Most in those countries are void of 

the mafia in the 21st century It is a corporate world now .

If run correctly casinos in Thailand would be a windfall for the people 

Set up a ministry  for this purpose  to oversea it 

If they can run casinos in China then its time to have them here as well

Casinos will attract monied people 

 

I don't know about Canada or Europe, but gambling in the US is highly restricted and regulated.  It's only legal in Nevada, Atlantic City, and some Indian reservations....unless the law has loosened up in other places that I'm not aware of.  Personally, I have no problem with casinos.  I've been to Vegas many times and really enjoyed gaming at the tables.  But I've lost much more than I've won.  At least I can afford it.  There are loads of people who simply can't control themselves and have literally lost their ass.  As someone else mentioned, Thailand can certainly do what S. Korea and Singapore have done, which is to restrict locals from casinos (or charge them a significant fee).  That way, you can bring in the tourists money without bankrupting the locals who can least afford it.  If certain Thais can afford the admissions fee (say 5,000 bt), then let them have at it.  Anyways, there are clearly pros and cons, but I believe the benefits outweigh the risk.

[mick220675]

I live in a border area of Thailand, 15 min's from our village is a Cambodian Casino. It has had a devastating impact on the locals, bringing total misery and suffering. 

 

The day casinos come to Thailand thousands will lose there cars, farms and as in our village some will end up killing them selves. Unfortunately Thais seem unable to stop gambling once they start. 

[georgemandm]

2 minutes ago, mick220675 said:

I live in a border area of Thailand, 15 min's from our village is a Cambodian Casino. It has had a devastating impact on the locals, bringing total misery and suffering. 

 

The day casinos come to Thailand thousands will lose there cars, farms and as in our village some will end up killing them selves. Unfortunately Thais seem unable to stop gambling once they start. 

Like I said in this forum the same as you it will  destroy thai people.

[KhaoNiaw]

On 12/11/2016 at 4:03 PM, Thaidream said:

It will never happen. There are plenty of illegal casinos now in Thailand and the powers that be certainly do not want regulation of any kind.

 

Most of the illegal casinos were closed by the military and, the ones in our area at least, haven't been able to reopen. 

[roger101]

When it was built the Ambassador City, Jomtien was the largest hotel in the world. As far as I know when it was built they expected it to have a casino, otherwise why build a 4,200 bedroom hotel 10k from the town center.

[newnative]

Interesting that Japan is apparently moving towards approving casinos. 

[JimmyJ]

On 12/13/2016 at 0:04 AM, Berkshire said:

 

I don't know about Canada or Europe, but gambling in the US is highly restricted and regulated.  It's only legal in Nevada, Atlantic City, and some Indian reservations....unless the law has loosened up in other places that I'm not aware of. 

 

I thought this was a joke and read on waiting for the punch line.

 

There are legal casinos all over the USA.

 

The only states with NO gambling including lotteries are Hawaii and Utah.

Most of the states have an adjoining state with legal casinos if their own state has none.

 

" .unless the law has loosened up in other places that I'm not aware of."

Yes, beginning 20 years or more ago, there has been some loosening up.

 

Edited December 16, 2016 by JimmyJ

[Berkshire]

27 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

 

I thought this was a joke and read on waiting for the punch line.

 

There are legal casinos all over the USA.

 

The only states with NO gambling including lotteries are Hawaii and Utah.

Most of the states have an adjoining state with legal casinos if their own state has none.

 

" .unless the law has loosened up in other places that I'm not aware of."

Yes, beginning 20 years or more ago, there has been some loosening up.

 

 

We're talking casinos, right, and not just card rooms and lotteries?  Admittedly, I haven't visited much of the USA recently except California.  If there are Vegas style casinos all over the USA, I haven't seen them in the San Francisco bay area.  Again, except in nearby Indian reservations.