Former Thailand Prime Minister Opposes Casinos Legalization
The Thailand government’s proposal to legalize casinos and online gambling has been criticized by former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who argues that it will aggravate social problems linked to gambling.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Speaking at a seminar on gambling legalization, Vejjajiva condemned gambling as a "major social problem" that wreaks havoc on individuals and their loved ones.
As the Thai government advances plans to legalize casinos and online gambling, Vejjajiva also warned Thais to prepare for the potential negative consequences.
The idea of legalizing casinos and online gambling in Thailand was first floated by the Pheu Thai Party during their 2023 election bid.
The party's stance is that instead of pushing gambling underground by criminalizing it, the government should establish a regulatory framework to oversee and tax gambling and its associated activities.
Vejjajiva pointed out that there has been no meaningful public engagement or debate on the issue of casinos and online gambling.
I disagree with the plan ... this is dangerous. Online gambling, in particular, will have a negative impact on society, by increasing household debts and consequently, crime rates. The government said that allowing casinos to open will allow it to collect revenue from operating licences and taxes, boost employment and attract tourists. But we have to weigh the benefits and risks carefully.
Furthermore, Vejjajiva expressed skepticism that legalized casinos would benefit Thai workers, predicting that migrant workers from neighboring countries would likely fill the jobs at these complexes.
He also called for strict law enforcement to prevent the exploitation of gambling and casino-entertainment complexes for money laundering.
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Government Ignores Referendum
According to Nuannoi Trirat, director of the Center for Gambling Studies, a recent survey by the center revealed that more than 50% of the 8,000 respondents oppose the plan to legalize casinos.
She accused the government of ignoring public demands for a referendum on the proposal to allow casinos to operate in the country.
These criticisms follow the cabinet’s approval of a bill on January 13 to allow the development of casino-entertainment complexes.
The government claims that a a referendum is not necessary since the policy has already been greenlit by parliament, and Pheu Thai included it in their campaign promises.
The Council of State has been given a 50-day deadline to review the bill before presenting it to the House for further discussion.
Last week, Thailand's opposition party, the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) reaffirmed its opposition to the entertainment complex bill, and plans to plans to use the issue as a key argument in an upcoming no-confidence debate against the government.
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