Petition calls for referendum on Thai casino legalisation

Backed by 53,900 signatures, the petition has been submitted to the Election Commission (EC).

Thailand.- More than 100 representatives from civil society organisations have submitted a petition to the Election Commission (EC), calling on the government to hold a national referendum on the legalisation of casinos in Thailand. The petition is backed by 53,900 signatures.

According to the Bangkok Post, Kornkanok Makboon, the petition coordinator, said it took 120 days from January to May, to get enough signatures to pass a 50,000-signature threshold set by Thailand’s National Referendum Act. The Electoral Commission has 30 days to verify the signatures. If the petition meets legal criteria, it will 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.”

In May, the Senate committee reviewing the bill to legalise casino resorts in Thailand suggested that the government should conduct a referendum and that otherwise the bill could be unconstitutional if it becomes law.