Thailand’s cabinet would not rush the deliberation of the Entertainment Complex Bill – the enabling bill for the country to host casinos in large-scale resorts – as the government would consider opinions and concerns from all stakeholders, stated on Tuesday the country’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
The Thai prime minister made the remarks at a weekly press conference after a cabinet meeting, reported local media outlet The Nation.
“It is crucial for the [finance] ministry to gather opinions on the bill and its related regulations. So, I would say there is no need to expedite its return to the cabinet. Let all issues be thoroughly examined first,” said Ms Shinawatra, as cited by the publication.
“I would like all details to be carefully reviewed. I don’t want the ministry to rush it to the cabinet because Thailand has never had casinos before,” she reportedly said.
Thailand’s cabinet had approved in principle the entertainment complex bill on January 13. The bill was then scrutinised by the legal advisory body, the Council of State, which proposed a number of revisions to the draft, including the introduction of a THB50-million (US$1.5 million) bank deposit threshold for locals wishing to gamble in any casino complexes that might be set up in the country.
Thailand’s finance ministry had opposed to the economic qualification proposal added to the bill by the Council of State, but later agreed to retain such requirement in the document.
Deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat said on March 6 that it would be up to the country’s National Assembly to decide whether such economic qualification proposal should be removed from the bill.
On Tuesday, Ms Shinawatra also said the economic qualification requirement for Thai casino patrons had not yet been finalised.
The proposed entry level for local casinos has the potential to shift the economic focus of the country’s casino-legalisation push, said a number of observers in comments to GGRAsia. In the view of several, it could dampen investment interest among international casino brands.
Following Ms Shinawatra’s Tuesday remarks, it was not clear when her cabinet would be ready to deliberate on the Entertainment Complex Bill. The bill is set to be reviewed by the cabinet before being vetted by the National Assembly.
