Thai casinos 'a boon to criminals'
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Thai casinos 'a boon to criminals'

Move gives rise to laundering fears

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Gambling chips are seized following a raid on a casino in Nonthaburi in March last year. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Provincial Administration)
Gambling chips are seized following a raid on a casino in Nonthaburi in March last year. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Provincial Administration)

Critics have warned that entertainment complexes where casinos will be allowed to operate will be used by illegal businesses to launder money.

Rangsiman Rome, an opposition People's Party (PP) list MP, said that shady Chinese businesses may invest in such complexes, and some may also launder illicit funds through casinos there.

Mr Rangsiman said the government has not come up with any concrete measures to tackle these businesses.

"Shady Chinese businesses have used Thailand as a base for illegal activities, but the government has no clear measures to crack down on them," he said.

While the government hopes that casino-entertainment complexes will attract tourists and bring more money to the country, Thailand will still face competition from casinos in Macau and Singapore, he added.

Japan will become another rival as it plans to build its first casino in Osaka, aimed at attracting domestic and international tourists, Mr Rangsiman said.

Natchapol Jittirat, a law lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, echoed the view that casinos are often used by criminals to launder money.

"Lax law enforcement and prevention measures will lead to adverse consequences. The number of offences associated with money laundering will increase. Thailand will become a hiding place for criminals," he said.

"Gambling is considered to be a victimless crime. It also triggers a chain of other crimes. A casino is a business often used as a tool for money laundering," he said.

Sangsit Piriyarangsan, a former senator who has studied casino legalisation, said the government could find itself in trouble if it proceeds with the casino project.

He said it was not part of the government's policy statement given to parliament as required by the constitution, and therefore pushing for it could be in breach of the constitution.

The Council of State, the government's legal arm, previously also raised concerns over the Entertainment Complex Bill.

According to a source, the council raised an objection on the grounds that such a megaproject is not relevant to the government's policy to promote a new form of tourism.

The council also ruled that the bill was unnecessary as it would duplicate laws on hotels, restaurants, and gambling. Moreover, the public's idea of an entertainment complex does not include a casino, it said.

Thanawat Polvichai, chief adviser at the Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting at the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the project is expected to inject about 1 trillion baht into the economy annually and Thailand could become a casino hub on a par with Macau.

On Monday, the cabinet approved in principle the bill paving the way for setting up entertainment complexes and allowing casinos to operate legally within them.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the Entertainment Complex Bill, proposed by the Finance Ministry, would promote tourism and investment in accordance with the government's policy while tackling widespread illegal gambling.

She insisted the Council of State did not oppose the bill but had suggested some revisions to reflect the government's policy on tourism.

Ms Paetongtarn said the bill would not require further examination from the council and would be forwarded to parliament for consideration.

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