Thailand's cabinet acknowledged a study on an entertainment complex by a special House committee on 9 April and tasked the Finance Ministry with evaluating the project's viability and presenting details back to the cabinet within one month, starting from that date1.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said the planned development will have a casino component of no more than 5% of the project area, and that the project is not limited to gambling venues and hotels but must also include other substantial investment components1. He said the proportion of each complex will depend on the government entities involved, and that Singapore has a similar entertainment complex scheme, where the gaming area constituted only 3% of the area after the project there was completed1.
Julapun said the ministry requested a two-week extension for further study, given the extensive details of the project1. He said the ministry plans to convene with 16 relevant agencies to discuss project details, including the need for new legislation to regulate the project, determining the location of the entertainment complex, identifying responsible parties to determine a location, assessing the positive and negative impacts of the project, and establishing a fund to mitigate the negative impacts1.
The House committee's study focused on three aspects, according to the report. First, the political, economic, social, environmental, educational and cultural implications of having such a venue in Thailand. Second, the business structure of the entertainment venue and revenue collection for the state, including tax collection, fees and various licenses for such venues with a casino, and how to develop state revenue generation in various areas. Finally, the legality of such venues, covering the forms, methods, funding regulations, criteria and regulations for operating entertainment venues, establishments and current gambling regulations1. The study said a casino tax should be implemented with appropriate rates for tax and fees that may differ from the general tax rates currently in place, and that a fund should be created to mitigate the impacts of gambling and entertainment venues, with revenue allocated to this fund from those businesses1. It also said the study should facilitate the development and modernization of existing laws or the drafting of new legislation that aligns with the changing social context and environment, the House report noted1.
What it means for players
Gambling in Thailand is currently restricted, and the study does not change the rules in force now. The proposal concerns a future entertainment complex with a casino component capped at no more than 5% of the project area, a limit that has been stated by the deputy finance minister but not yet written into law1. No venue, location, opening date or license has been reported. For locals, expats and visitors, the practical position is unchanged until legislation is passed and a complex opens. Background on how casinos and integrated resorts in the region admit visitors and what they offer is set out in Casinos and Integrated Resorts in Asia: Who Can Enter, What You Can Play and the Rules Inside, and the current position in the country is covered in Can I Gamble in Thailand?. The comparison cited by the deputy minister, Singapore's integrated resort, is described in Can I Gamble in Singapore?.
What happens next
The Finance Ministry is to evaluate the project's viability and present details back to the cabinet within one month of 9 April, and it requested a two-week extension for further study1. The ministry plans to convene with 16 relevant agencies to discuss the project's details1. No date has been reported for a cabinet decision on the project itself.
Sources1 sources
- Bangkok Post - Casinos area limited for new project venues, bangkokpost.com
