Thailand’s government will move ahead with plans for so-called “entertainment complexes” says Julapun Amornvivat, deputy finance minister, in comments reported on Thursday.
It is the term used in that country to denote large leisure facilities due to include casino space. Mr Julapun added that policy makers would be willing to make adjustments to a draft bill to legalise and regulate casino business – published in early August – based on “useful” feedback from a public consultation process that concluded on August 18.
Mr Julapun said “80 percent” of those that engaged in the consultation, agreed with the overall policy.
The official, described as a key member of the Pheu Thai Party at the centre of a current coalition government, said a revised version of the draft bill would be submitted to the country’s cabinet for the coalition partners to consider. That is according to a report published on Thursday in the Bangkok Post.
If the draft bill gains cabinet support, it will be passed to Thailand’s Council of State for scrutiny, before being discussed in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the country’s parliament, Mr Julapun was cited as saying.
The draft bill currently proposes casino licences running for 30 years, with the possibility of renewal for a further 10 years.
The bill also outlines other forms of business permitted in the entertainment complexes aside from gaming. They include hotels, conference centres and tourism attractions.
Such complexes could only be operated by a limited company or a public limited company registered in Thailand, which must have a paid-up capital of at least THB10 billion (US$281.9 million), according to the draft bill terms as mentioned previously, and cited in Thursday’s report.
The draft bill also outlines the involvement of a high-powered body – to include Thailand’s sitting prime minister, a deputy prime minister and five ministers – that would serve on what is termed a “policy committee’ to steer Thailand’s casino policy effort.
