Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has vowed that government-approved casinos will endorse and encourage “responsible gambling”.
Shinawatra, also known as Ing Shin, was speaking on Sunday (May 4) as part of her monthly “Empowering Thais” series.
The PM, daughter of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, insisted casinos included in her regime’s entertainment complex policy would meet set regulations to play their role in promoting the South East Asian nation.
As reported by the Bangkok Post, she pointed to other major world destinations that leverage gambling as part of entertainment attractions, with the message that Thailand will not be left behind.
It was set out that all visitors to Thai venues would be verified, including criminal records and affordability checks.
“Entertainment complexes will not lead Thailand to its worst vices. Developed countries like Singapore, the US, Japan, and the UAE follow this global trend,” said the PM.
“They know that sand, sun, and sea are not enough any longer. There must be man-made (attractions). We don’t want Thailand to miss the trend,” stated Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
She continued, “After the Osaka Expo 2025, Japan will turn the island that is the venue into an entertainment complex, a manmade destination, within five years.
PM returned to TV on May 4 with “Empowering Thais with PM Paetongtarn,” highlighting recent actions and future plans.
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Investment to stimulate increased tax revenues
“With (similar) entertainment complexes, there will not be a low season in Thailand,” said Ms Paetongtarn, alluding to the desire for growth in tourist and leisure figures.
The Thai leader detailed that casino venues would only be part of wider entertainment complexes that contain hotels and concert halls.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra went on to explain that: “The investment will enable the government to collect more taxes. Tax will be collected from casino visitors, while she insisted that investment for the large venues would come from the private sector and not the state purse.
Thailand has been tipped to follow the casino model of Singapore, with similar measures adopted by Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
Image credit: Ing Shin/X
