A revised version of Thailand’s Entertainment Complex Bill will be presented to the cabinet today after the House voted down a censure motion against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Wednesday morning.
The cabinet meeting, typically held on a Tuesday, has been pushed back two days as a result of the censure debate.
According to The Bangkok Post, Thailand’s Ministry of Finance will present the bill to cabinet after this week releasing a summary of comments from a 15-day public feedback period that showed more than 80% of respondents broadly support the idea of legalizing casino gaming within entertainment complexes.
It will, however, be up to Paetongtarn as to whether the casino bill is immediately placed on the cabinet’s agenda, explained Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat.
Among the key discussion points will be whether to retain a recent amendment to the bill requiring Thai nationals to hold a minimum THB 50 million (US$1.5 million) in fixed deposits for at least six months to be able to enter the nation’s legal casinos. An Inside Asian Gaming investigation found that the majority of international operators would consider such a requirement to be a deal breaker when it comes to investing in an entertainment complex in Thailand.
In comments to The Bangkok Post on Wednesday, Julapan noted that the purpose of the bill is to promote and regulate the development of integrated entertainment businesses that meet standards, support sustainable tourism and encourage investment in the country.
Another potential hurdle was cleared on Wednesday morning, with the House voting down the no-confidence motion in the Prime Minister by 319 votes to 162. The casino issue had been one of the issues Paetongtarn was grilled about during debate on the motion.
