Thai Government Pushes Forward Entertainment Complex Bill Amid Debate on Casinos

National —

On January 18th, 2025, government spokesperson Mr. Jirayu Huangsap announced that the Thai Cabinet approved the principles of the Entertainment Complex Bill.

This legislation, officially known as the “Entertainment Business Act,” aims to regulate integrated entertainment hubs, including casinos, to prevent underground activities such as human trafficking, money laundering, and illegal online gambling.

The government hopes to formalize these businesses, citing examples like Singapore, where casinos form a small part of broader tourist attractions.

Jirayu emphasized that the planned Entertainment Complexes would not be limited to casinos but would feature a mix of attractions, similar to Las Vegas. Las Vegas boasts a vibrant array of entertainment offerings, including world-class theaters, sports arenas, convention centers, and luxury resorts.

While casinos are a prominent feature, the city also hosts international events, such as boxing championships and music festivals, attracting millions of tourists annually. This model aims to enhance Thailand’s appeal to high-spending international tourists while creating approximately 20,000 jobs per complex, each with an average salary of 20,000 baht.

Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been speaking about the proposal for weeks as we reported here, also voiced support, comparing the Entertainment Complex plan to the Las Vegas model. He noted that the casino component would take up less than 10% of the total area, with the rest devoted to various attractions like water parks and amusement parks. He stated that there was too much focus on the casino aspect as they would only be an extremely small part of the complex and there were zero plans to allow casinos to open independently or without regulations like many feared.

The bill faces mixed reactions from political leaders. Former Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit argued that the casino component is too sensitive and could cause social and economic disruptions.

He proposed a national referendum to gauge public sentiment. However, Thaksin dismissed the need for a referendum, stating that proper regulations and oversight would address all concerns.

The Thai government expects to finalize the bill’s details by mid-2025, with initial regulatory frameworks and public-private partnerships slated for early 2026.

TPN Media notes that the Cabinet pushing forward the bill certainly doesn’t mean it’s a set in stone thing to take effect as the act would need approval from multiple other parties such as the Council of State as well as debate and voting in the Thai House of Representatives, which could see this take significant time.

The bill also would not legalize gambling nationwide but rather only at the casinos inside of entertainment complexes which would have a 5000 Baht entry for Thai nationals in the proposal as we reported previously here.

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Kittisak Phalaharn
Kittisak has a passion for outgoings no matter how tough it will be, he will travel with an adventurous style. As for his interests in fantasy, detective genres in novels and sports science books are parts of his soul. He works for Pattaya News as the latest writer.