Thaksin Shinawatra defends Thai casino bill
The former PM says a decline in tourism is due to safety concerns, not casino plans.
Thailand.- The former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has rejected claims that the proposed Entertainment Complex Bill is driving away Chinese tourists. He argues that safety concerns are the real deterrent.
Speaking during an interview on Nation TV, Thaksin addressed recent criticism from Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, who blamed the 70–90 per cent drop in Chinese arrivals on the controversial casino bill.
“The Entertainment Complex policy hasn’t even been implemented yet, so how could it affect tourism?” Thaksin said. “Chinese tourists are more worried about scams and personal safety.” He cited government efforts to improve public security, including Smart City development and the installation of AI-powered surveillance as key to restoring confidence among foreign visitors.
Thaksin also clarified that the proposed bill, which has now been withdrawn, focuses not only on casinos. He noted that the casino component would occupy just 10 per cent of integrated resorts’ space, with the rest dedicated to hotels, concerts, and family-friendly attractions. Know your customer (KYC) checks would restrict access to people with verifiable income and tax records, excluding politicians and vulnerable groups, he said.
Beyond the Entertainment Complex Bill, Thaksin Shinawatra is pushing for the legalisation of online gambling, which he says is needed to rein in underground gaming. He estimated that illicit online gambling and digital scams are taking more than THB300bn (US$920m) a year out of the formal economy.
He proposed a regulatory framework with mandatory Digital ID verification, a minimum participation age of 20 and real-time monitoring tools to help detect addiction and misuse.
