A 53,900-signature petition has been submitted to Thailand’s Election Commission, calling on the country’s government to hold a national referendum on the legalisation of casinos.
Thailand’s government has defended its plan for the country to host a number of casino resorts, pledging strict regulations and transparency.
Nonetheless, the Bangkok Post newspaper on Friday cited Kornkanok Makboon, described as a coordinator of the petition, as saying it took 120 days, during a period spanning January to May, to get enough signatures to pass a 50,000-signature threshold set by Thailand’s National Referendum Act.
The news outlet reported Ms Kornkanok saying the Electoral Commission has 30 days to verify the signatures. If they are, the petition would be forwarded to the Office of the Secretariat of the Cabinet for consideration by the government.
Thanakorn Khomkrit, secretary-general of a body called the Stop Gambling Foundation, was quoted saying: “A referendum would provide the government with a clear mandate from the people, reducing public resistance and giving investors confidence in the legal framework supporting casino developments.”
Wasinee Sonsaeb, a representative of an organisation called the Youth Network Against Gambling, made reference to a suggestion – commonly aired in media reports – that the government had not done sufficient research and public consultation before advancing a draft bill on casino resort legalisation.
She stated, referring to Singapore’s decision to host casino resorts: “Singapore spent a decade conducting thorough research and public consultation before making its decision.”
This month Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former prime minister of Thailand, renewed his attack on the current government’s casino legalisation push.
A government press briefing earlier this month said a legalised casino industry could boost the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.8 percent annually, and triple tourist spending in the country.
That briefing confirmed that each Thai casino resort – known there as ‘entertainment complex’ – would require at least THB100 billion (US$3.07 billion) in investment.
In March, The Nation news outlet reported calls by a group of Thai academics for a national referendum on the casino policy.
