The government is pressing ahead with a bill to allow casinos to operate legally within entertainment complexes in the country.
According to government sources, the Finance Ministry has finished the draft of the Entertainment Complex Act. The bill will undergo a public hearing as required by Section 77 of the constitution to ensure public participation in the push for passage of the legislation.
After the hearing, the bill, along with public feedback, will be presented to the cabinet for consideration, the sources said. The government has spoken favourably of entertainment complexes including casinos in the past.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said leaders and representatives of the coalition parties will hold a monthly meeting at Government House today. Among topics to be discussed will be the entertainment complex bill, which seeks to legalise casinos and regulate the gambling industry, Mr Phumtham said.
The bill spells out reasons to establish such entertainment complexes and allow casinos to operate legally within them. The tourism industry has brought big revenue into the country, the bill argues, and the entertainment industry can boost tourist spending still further.
"Promoting and regulating integrated entertainment complexes that meet standard requirements is an important measure to encourage domestic investment, which in turn will benefit the country and help support sustainable tourism," according to excerpts from the bill.
Under the bill's 65 sections, an entertainment complex must acquire a licence to operate, which is valid for up to 30 years. An operator must also pay 5 billion baht to register, plus an annual payment of 1 billion baht. The complex will be assessed every five years. After 30 years, the licence can be renewed for another 10 years.
Individuals under the age of 20 are prohibited from entering such venues. The complexes are open to all foreigners, but Thai citizens must pay an entrance fee of 5,000 baht.
Under the bill, a policy board will be set up and chaired by the prime minister. It will be responsible for setting the rules and regulations governing gaming complexes.
Mr Chai previously said the project will have a significant impact on the economy, as the global business value of casino-based entertainment complexes in 2022 amounted to US$1.5 trillion (53 trillion baht), with the figure expected to rise to $2.2 trillion by 2028.
Entertainment complexes generate huge income for many countries each year, he said. The territory with the largest casino-based entertainment complex business is Macau, which has a population of only 690,000 but brings in up to $32 billion from this business, he said.
Second is Las Vegas with $30 billion, while Singapore brings in $12 billion, the spokesman said. With Japan now planning three such projects, Thailand would have to speed up its project to get its fair share of the overall global revenue, he added.
Citing the House committee's report on the entertainment complex scheme, Mr Chai said the project was expected to generate at least 12 billion baht in taxes for the country in the first year.
A study by the House committee was said to focus on three aspects: the implications for the economic, social, educational and cultural policies of having such a venue in Thailand; the business structure and revenue collection; and the legality and criteria for laws regarding entertainment and gambling regulations. Five venues are seen as potential hosts for this project: two in Bangkok and one each in the Eastern Economic Corridor, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
However, Pariyes Angkurakitti, a spokesman for the opposition Thai Sang Thai Party, slammed the project, saying lax law enforcement could hinder efforts to regulate the casino industry.
