In his inaugural monthly television address as Thailand’s Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin unveiled ambitious plans to legalize casinos and construct a nuclear power plant. These proposals aim to address two pressing issues that have fueled public discontent: illegal gambling and high electricity costs.
Prime Minister Srettha argued that bringing gambling under governmental control could effectively address the pervasive issue of underground gambling. He stated during the broadcast, “We have to admit that underground gambling is a serious problem and should be solved by legalising it.”
However, he acknowledged the challenges of public opposition to nuclear power, stating, “Nuclear power will need time to educate people because most don’t want the plant in their neighborhood.”
These proposals emerge in the wake of a parliamentary study supported by a majority of Thailand’s 500-member House of Representatives in March. This study recommended establishing legal casinos within large entertainment venues, aiming to attract high-spending tourists and generate substantial tax revenue. The government estimates that these integrated entertainment complexes could bring in around 12 billion baht ($327 million) in tax revenue during their first year of operation.
To advance the casino legalization initiative, Thailand’s Finance Ministry is poised to propose a draft bill to the cabinet within the next three to four weeks, according to Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat. Currently, casinos are illegal in Thailand, with the only permitted gambling activities being state-controlled horse races and the lottery. However, illicit gambling, including soccer betting, underground casinos, and lotteries, is rampant.
Many within the gaming industry believe that a legal casino market in Thailand would be immensely successful in attracting more visitors to a country already a magnet for foreign tourists. This could potentially create strong competition for the world’s biggest gambling hub, Macau, the only place in China where citizens can legally gamble in casinos.
