Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has lashed out at critics of the proposed casino entertainment complex, accusing political rivals of playing games to sow public confusion and inflame opposition.
Speaking on NBT's Empowering Thais with PM Paetongtarn programme, the premier defended the controversial project, saying it could bring major foreign investment and economic opportunities without burdening taxpayers.
"The investment isn't coming from the state or people's tax money -- it's private and foreign capital. That means more revenue through taxation, especially from regulated gambling," Ms Paetongtarn said.
She insisted the development would follow the "Singapore model" and should not be viewed as merely building a casino. The envisioned complex would include hotels, concert venues, convention halls and a world-class, tightly regulated gaming facility.
"It's about responsible gambling," she said. "There will be strict rules, background checks and security standards to ensure it's not a place where anyone can walk in dreaming of winning millions and just leave with it. That's not how it works."
The prime minister warned that intensifying political agendas were distorting the narrative around the plan, misleading the public into believing it would plunge the country into vice.
"Some [critics] are weaponising the issue for political gain -- making it seem as though Thailand is about to become a haven of vice, which is just not true," she said.
"Look at Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, the United States -- they've all embraced the concept of man-made attractions to drive economic growth."
She stressed the entertainment complex project represents a critical opportunity to catch up with global trends, create jobs for Thais and attract tourism year-round, eliminating the concept of a low season in the tourism industry.
"We don't want to look back later and regret that Thailand was too slow again," she said, citing Japan's plan to turn the Osaka World Expo site into an entertainment complex by 2030 as a model for inspiration.
"When we see things abroad and wonder why Thailand doesn't have that -- this is our chance."
However, opposition voices remain strong.
On the same day as the broadcast, Thanakorn Komkrit, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation, posted a warning on Facebook about how casinos can become hotbeds for money laundering.
Citing a 2024 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report on casinos, transnational crime and illicit finance in Southeast Asia, Mr Thanakorn said non-financial businesses like casinos often escape strict regulation, making them ideal for money laundering.
Mr Thanakorn said the report identifies multiple methods for laundering money through casinos, including converting illicit cash into gambling chips and back again; collusion between players; junket tours that facilitate VIP gambling across borders and layering financial transactions to obscure origins.
"Are we ready to deal with this kind of 24/7 laundering convenience?" Mr Thanakorn asked in his post, highlighting the growing concern that without airtight regulation, Thailand's legalisation of casinos could open the door to criminal infiltration.
