Thai senators have asked Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to defend her controversial casino legalization bill in parliament’s upper house next week.
The divisive draft law continues to dominate headlines in the Southeast Asian nation. The Bangkok Post quoted Senator Veerapun Suvannamai, Chairman of the Senate Special Committee, saying that lawmakers have asked Paetongtarn and “former prime ministers” to attend a meeting on May 15.
Veerapun said that senators have requested the presence of Thaksin Shinawatra. The latter is Paetongtarn’s father, and served as Thai Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006.
Thai Senators Hopeful Paetongtarn Will Defend Bill in Person
Paetongtarn has claimed that her political opponents have been trying to weaponize the draft law. The bill seeks to legalize casinos within special entertainment complexes.Observers say the bill could destabilize the ruling government coalition at a dangerous time for Paetongtarn. The PM survived a vote of no confidence earlier this year. Critics accused her of taking secret orders from her still-influential father.
The Senate’s special committee chief noted that while Paetongtarn is entitled to appoint a representative (likely a senior government minister) to attend in her place, senators want her to appear in person.
The committee has already established a framework to assess the project’s potential drawbacks and benefits.
It has also formed subcommittees to investigate possible economic and social effects. Sources told the same media outlet that the subcommittees will present their findings in early November.
This timeframe could irk the bill’s proponents. The government had tabled a first reading in the lower house, the House of Representatives, on April 9.
However, following public and political opposition, Paetongtarn agreed to delay the first reading. The government says the chamber will now read the bill during the next parliamentary session. Lawmakers will reconvene on July 2 after a short summer break.
PM: Legal Casinos Will Help Boost Tax Revenues
Paetongtarn defended her bill on television this month, claiming it would boost annual tax revenue and help the Thai tourism industry avoid the notion of off-seasons.
Paetongtarn also claimed that strict rules, background checks, and security protocols would ensure safety at the new casinos.
She insisted that the complexes would all be backed by foreign capital, not taxpayers’ money. Critics say that green-lighting casinos will lead to a rise in youth gambling addictions and money laundering.
Anti-casino demonstrators protested outside the parliament building in Bangkok in early April, demanding that the government abandon the bill.
Any further delay could impact the ambitious new plans to redevelop Bangkok’s port area.
Bangkok Port Development Plans
In a separate report, the newspaper wrote that Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri has announced that an entertainment complex has been included in a planned commercial redevelopment of some 20% of the Bangkok Port compound in the Klong Toey District.
Manaporn was quoted as saying that a casino had not been included in the proposal “at this stage.” He added that the addition of a casino to the proposal is “dependent on casinos being legalised. “
The government wants to convert 832,000 square meters of real estate into an entertainment complex. It also wants to build a cruise terminal and retail spaces at the port. The proposed complex would also hold offices, residential buildings, shopping malls, and hotels.
Manaporn says that the ministry has commissioned a study of the plan. Bangkok has handed surveyors a 20 million baht (over $607,000) budget.
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