Senate committee may ask Thai PM to explain casino bill at meeting next week
Paetongtarn Shinawatra might be called to the meeting scheduled for May 15.
Thailand.- The Senate committee reviewing the bill to legalise casino resorts may invite prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to present the government’s rationale behind the legislation next week. According to local media reports, senator Veerapun Suvannamai, the committee’s chairman, said Shinawatra could be invited to a meeting next Thursday (May 15). There had been speculation that the PM would attend today (8 May).
According to Bangkok Post, the committee is to create at least two sub-committees: one to look at economic impacts and the other to consider social effects.
The government delayed the casino-entertainment complex bill until the next parliamentary session, which starts on July 2 due to the issues of US tariffs and last month’s earthquake. Shinawatra has defended the bill saying it would boost the country’s economy. In her weekly TV Show, Empowering Thais, on Sunday (May 4), Shinawatra said integrated resorts would attract foreign investment and generate tax revenue for the government.
Referring to concerns among academics and religious groups over gambling harm, Shinawatra said the aim was not to promote vice but to bring the country in line with a global trend. Shinawatra also accused opposition parties of misinforming the public about the contents of the bill.
Shinawatra noted that it would be difficult for Thai citizens to gamble in casinos due to checks on their financial and criminal backgrounds. The proposed legislation stipulates that Thais wanting to access a casino would be required to pay a fee of THB5,000 (US$150) and show proof of at least THB50m (US$1.5m) in fixed deposits.
