Senator Wanchai Sornsiri of Thailand, a longtime advocate of legal casinos in the country, has resurrected a 2017 proposal to open one or more casinos in the city of Pattaya or the village of Huay Yai.
The move is seen first and foremost as a way to bring unregulated gaming into the marketplace. But it was spurred by an incident last year in which a major coronavirus outbreak originated in an illegal gambling hall in the city of Rayong.
Business leaders in Pattaya disagree about the wisdom of opening a legal casino—or two—as a way to combat illegal games, according to the Pattaya Mail. Sornsiri says if casinos were legal, they could be regulated, taxed and subjected to health and safety standards. Proposals to open a casino in Pattaya have surfaced several times in the past 20 years, but went nowhere due to push back from religious groups and law enforcement.
Pattaya City Councilman Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn, former head of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, said there is too much patronage and corruption to allow “gray area” businesses to operate “in the light.” He also rejected the argument that legal gambling would stamp out the illegal variety.
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is personally opposed to gaming, is nonetheless willing to consider the matter and weigh the risks and benefits. Right now, gambling is strictly forbidden with the exception of the state lottery and horse racing. At the same time, the country is considered ripe with possibility for a legal, regulated industry, and in the past, no less than the Las Vegas Sands Corp. has proposed an integrated resort there.
Gen Prayut, chairman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration agrees that it’s time to look at legal gambling, reported the Bangkok Post. He’s approved the formation of two committees to assess the situation. One will look into the illegal gambling trade and the other will investigate how illegal border crossings are handled. Both will work with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to track the flow of illegal funds.
Minority politicians have also been calling for the market to be opened, with Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, leader of the minority Thai Civilized Party, last summer suggesting that legalization could bring in about THB6 billion (US$200 million) in tax revenue.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Thailand is one of only three ASEAN nations without legal casinos, along with Indonesia and Brunei, though as many as half of its adult population is estimated to gamble illegally. With a population of almost 70 million, Thailand is the world’s 20th most populous country.
If casinos are legalized in Thailand, it would be a blow for casinos in the bordering countries of Cambodia and Laos, which rely heavily on traffic from Thailand.
