The southern Thai province of Songkhla, located on the border with Malaysia, has reportedly put its hand up to host a casino in a bid to boost tourism.
According to The Bangkok Post, the idea has been put forward by Songchai Mungprasithichai, President of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, who believes the area around Thailand’s southern-most entry point has the potential to attract tourists who have an interest in gambling. He has also singled out the Ban Dan Nok area which is often ignored by Malaysian visitors in favor of Hat Yai.
“Tourism operators in Ban Dan Nok said the market is quiet,” Mungprasithichai is quoted as saying. “Even in Hat Yai, tourist flows are not consistent as in the past, with 90% of the foreign market hailing from Malaysia during festivals, and now they have more choices than Hat Yai.”
He also believes the proximity of Songkhla to Malaysia’s Resorts World Genting could make it an attractive alternative option for those who traditionally gamble in the Genting Highlands.
However, he added it was important the idea was approved by locals and called for a campaign to inform them of the additional facilities an integrated resort development would bring.
“Despite being an Islamic country, Malaysia allows legal casinos in Genting,” Mungprasithichai said.
“For the entertainment complex plan to run smoothly it must address the economic impact on locals, helping them to understand the development would welcome all segments with other attractions such as hotels and shopping, not only gambling.”
The call for a Songkhla casino comes after Malaysia’s Prime Minister recently insisted he would not issue a second casino license in his country. This followed reports, since denied by all parties, that he had met with Genting Berhad Chairman and CEO Lim Kok Thay and Berjaya Group chair Vincent Tan to discuss a potential casino development in Johor, near Malaysia’s border with Singapore.
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