Certain groups of shady businesses are attempting to do whatever it takes to derail the government's bill paving the way for legalising casinos and including them in new entertainment complexes, according to government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub.
"Now we have to be united to wrestle with these shady businesses, which security authorities have found are trying every way possible to achieve their target of stopping the bill," Mr Jirayu said on Thursday.
"They desperately want their 'grey' businesses to continue. [And if they succeed in this attempt] Thai society will be left in the same vicious circle," he said.
He also raised the issue of opposition parties that have their own policies of pushing to legalise underground businesses as a way of better controlling them and generating more revenue, yet strongly oppose the government's plan to legalise casinos.
He urged them to compare their policies with the government's to see how they share a common goal of trying to root out corruption among the authorities.
If left underground, these businesses lead to other problems, such as money laundering and human trafficking, he said.
Mr Jirayu encouraged these opposition parties to instead cooperate with the government in pushing to pass this bill as soon as possible.
The entertainment complex bill comes with regulations designed as much as possible to prevent any adverse effects on society by legalising casinos, he said.
For example, it imposes an age limit and income requirement on patrons who will be allowed to gamble at the casinos, he said, adding only people aged 20 and above who have a certain level of taxable income will be permitted to enter.
The type of entertainment complex the government is aiming for will not only deal with legal casinos but also other world-class income-generating establishments, including water parks, hotels, theatres and concert halls, he said.
Learning from the experience of other countries in Asia and elsewhere, legalising illicit businesses has proven to be a more effective means of controlling them and safeguarding society from their negative impacts, he added.
