Thai Prime Minister: My Casino Bill Won’t Turn Nation into Haven of Vice

The Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says her much-maligned casino legalization bill will not turn the country into “a haven of vice.”

The PM claimed that her political opponents were trying to weaponize the bill. She said they were playing games to stoke confusion and drive public opposition to her government.

The bill proposes allowing casinos to operate within special entertainment complexes in the country. These complexes would also house luxury hotels and concert halls.

Thai Prime Minister: Casinos Will Provide Treasury Boost

Paetongtarn claims that the move will help boost year-round foreign tourism income. However, critics say that casinos will act as a magnet for money laundering schemes and criminal gangs.

The bill threatens to divide Paetongtarn’s ruling coalition government, with some politicians bitterly opposed to the draft law.

Demonstrators held rallies in front of the Bangkok parliament building in April, urging Paetongtarn to abandon the bill.

But the Bangkok Post reported that Paetongtarn appeared on TV to defend the draft law. She claimed it could help bring in a significant influx of foreign investment. The PM said: “The investment isn’t coming from the state or people’s tax money. It’s private, and it is foreign capital.”

Regulated, responsible gambling could also help Thailand raise more revenue through taxation, she added. Paetongtarn said: “There will be strict rules, background checks, and security standards to ensure this is not a place where anyone can walk in dreaming of winning millions and just leave with it. That’s not how it works.”

The PM also claimed that her plan would help create jobs for citizens and help the Thai tourism industry eliminate the concept of low seasons.

She warned that some people with political agendas were distorting the narrative surrounding the plan. Critics are intentionally misleading the public, she added.

The Thai leader said her opponents were trying to “make it seem as though Thailand is about to become a haven of vice, which is just not true.”

Casino Money Laundering Dangers Are Real, Says Critic

Paetongtarn concluded that failure to back her plan would eventually cause people to look at similar projects in other countries, “and wonder why Thailand doesn’t have that.”

However, Thanakorn Komkrit, the Secretary-General of the Stop Gambling Foundation, attacked the proposal on social media.

Thanakorn urged his followers to refer to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s latest report on casinos and cross-border crime in Southeast Asia.

The UN agency has claimed that many in the money laundering gangs in the region are taking advantage of loopholes and blind spots in casino regulations.

Thanakorn noted that the UN agency has found evidence of money at Southeast Asian casinos involving collusion between players.

The agency added that some illicit junket tours facilitate VIP gambling across borders, and others layer financial transactions to hide their origins. Thanakorn mused, “Are we ready to deal with this kind of 24/7 laundering convenience?”

Paetongtarn survived a vote of no confidence in parliament in March this year. Opponents claimed that she is unqualified for the post.

They also alleged that she was taking orders from her father, Thaksin Shinawatra. The latter served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006 and remains an influential figure in the political and business spheres.

Paetongtarn’s aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, also served as Thai Prime Minister from 2011 to 2014.

In April, the Royal Thai Police announced plans to launch a dedicated task force to fight tech-related crimes and human trafficking in border areas.

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 The Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says her much-maligned casino legalization bill will not turn the country into “a haven of vice.” The PM claimed that her political opponents were trying to weaponize the bill. She said they were playing games to stoke confusion and drive public opposition to her government. The bill proposes allowing
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