A special Senate committee studying the government's casino-entertainment complex bill is expected to invite Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to explain the rationale of the bill next week.
Senator Veerapun Suvannamai, the committee's chairman, said on Wednesday that the committee will hold its second meeting to discuss the project on Thursday.
However, Dr Veerapun dismissed media reports that Ms Paetongtarn would be invited to Thursday's meeting.
"I don't know how the agenda for the meeting was leaked. The agenda has not been checked yet," he said.
Senator Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, the committee's spokesman, said that at its first meeting on April 23, the committee did not decide that an "outsider" would be invited to its second meeting.
Dr Veerapun said that an outsider may be invited to the committee's meeting on May 15, and the prime minister or other concerned ministers may be asked to show up and provide the committee with an explanation regarding the casino-entertainment project.
Dr Veerapun also added that during Thursday's meeting, the Senate committee will set a framework for studying the project and form sub-committees. The study is expected to take 180 days to complete.
According to sources, at least two sub-committees will be set up. One will study the project's impacts on the economy, and the other will consider its social impacts.
The government has decided to postpone the casino-entertainment complex bill until the next parliamentary session, which is due to start on July 2.
The bill was initially scheduled for a first reading in the House of Representatives on April 9, but the government's attempt to fast-track its deliberation was met with pushback. Critics have warned that the government risks violating ethics rules if it continues pushing for the bill.
