A special committee currently in the midst of a 180-day study of the Thai government’s Entertainment Complex Bill has called for the government to hold a referendum on the issue.
According to a report by The Bangkok Post, the committee has expressed concern that passage of the bill into law without a referendum could contravene the constitution.
The committee is, however, known to be populated by a number of anti-casino voices who, the media outlet reported, have also raised a series of concerns with legalized casinos themselves.
These include criticism of the powers the government has granted itself in regard to regulating casino operations, the transparency of the licensing process, the acquisition of land for entertainment complex processes and the length of the mooted 30-year license duration.
The committee has not yet had an opportunity to grill Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over the government’s stance on the bill because she and Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat were on an official trip to Vietnam at the time of their last meeting. She will again front the committee on 5 June, The Bangkok Post said.
The 35-member Senate committee held its first meeting on 23 April, having been established amid rising opposition to the Entertainment Complex Bill and alleged tensions between the ruling Pheu Thai Party and its coalition partners. It has been claimed that many of its members who are also part of the Bhumjaithai Party are personally opposed to the casino bill, although the leaders of both parties have downplayed concerns over a split.
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