Entertainment complexes not free gambling dens, PM insists

Paetongtarn responds to reports of protesters opposing plan to build entertainment that include casinos

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Saturday defended the government’s plan to legalise casinos located in entertainment complexes, saying that the policy will not allow gambling dens to open freely in Thailand.

“Entertainment complexes are not free gambling dens,” she said. “They are man-made tourist attractions that have casinos as a small part.”

Paetongtarn was responding to reports that protesters were opposing the plan to build entertainment complexes while her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was speaking in Si Sa Ket province on Friday.

The patriarch of the ruling Pheu Thai Party was campaigning for the party’s candidate in the upcoming election for chairman of the Si Sa Ket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO).

The protesters reportedly said that the project would open doors for illegal gambling dens to open freely in Thailand, promoting gambling addiction and jeopardising public morality.

"Entertainment complexes will serve as a key attraction for tourists, generating new sources of income for Thailand. This is crucial because our current income is not enough to drive GDP growth,” Paetongtarn told reporters as she landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday.

The PM was back from her mission at the 55th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week.Paetongtarn said the project would also create jobs and stable income for communities, as well as foster new professions. She added that it is the government's duty to explain the project’s details to the public and address their concerns.

The Cabinet on January 13 approved the draft Entertainment Complex Business Act in principle, paving the way for building casino resorts in Thailand. The draft law aims to legalise the kingdom’s vast underground gambling industry, allowing the establishment of casino-entertainment complexes to generate tax revenue.

The government earlier clarified that each entertainment complex would comprise 4-5-star hotels, convention and exhibition centres, an indoor sports arena, a concert hall, shopping malls, duty-free shops, theme parks, Michelin-starred restaurants, and space for special activities. Meanwhile, casinos will only occupy less than 10% of the total area.

The Finance Ministry estimates the entertainment-complex project will boost national GDP by 0.2% during construction and 0.7% once operational. It is expected to create 20,000 jobs and boost tourist arrivals during the low season by 5-10%, leading to a 13% rise in tourism revenue.

(2025/01/25-00:00)