Paetongtarn Shinawatra says entertainment complexes with casinos would boost the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Thailand.- Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra <\/strong>has again defended the bill to legalise casino resorts<\/a> in Thailand saying that it would boost the country’s economy. In her weekly TV Show, Empowering Thais, broadcast yesterday (May 4), Shinawatra said integrated resorts would attract foreign investment <\/strong>and generate significant tax revenue for the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said: “Entertainment complexes will not lead Thailand to its worst vices\u2026 Developed countries like Singapore, the US, Japan and the UAE follow this global trend. They know that sand, sun, sea are not enough any longer. There must be manmade attractions. We don\u2019t want Thailand to miss the trend.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n