People's networks including the Kon Thai Ropattana student network, Dhamma Army and the Centre for People's Protection of the Monarchy submitted a protest letter at the Council of State on 17 February 2568 (2025), demanding that casinos be removed entirely from the draft law, and held a small rally outside the office1.
The draft is the Entertainment Complex Business Act, known as the casino bill, which the cabinet approved in principle on 13 January 2568 (2025) as proposed by the Ministry of Finance and sent to the Council of State, chaired by Wissanu Krea-ngam, for review1. The Council of State finished revising the draft on 15 February 2568 (2025), and it is now in a third round of public consultation that runs until 1 March 2568 (2025), after which it returns to the cabinet1.
The revised draft adds several restrictions that were not in the Finance Ministry's version1:
| Provision | Revised draft | Finance Ministry draft |
|---|---|---|
| Casino floor space | No more than 10% of the entertainment complex | No proportion specified |
| Minimum deposit for Thai players | 50 million baht | Not specified |
| Consultation with nearby residents | Required before a license is issued | Not specified |
| Environmental and social impact study | Required | Not specified |
At the rally, the groups carried signs reading "casino = crime center" and "gambling destroys families," threw playing cards on the ground and shouted "no casinos," and accused the government of using the term "entertainment complex" to push casinos through1. Academics from five leading universities issued a statement saying casinos would severely affect Thailand's social structure and calling on the government to delay the bill, and a petition campaign under the name "we don't want casinos" is collecting signatures against legal casinos1.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat has said the government will continue with the bill, calling it an important policy for generating national revenue1. Thaksin Shinawatra, who first proposed legal casinos while prime minister from 2544 to 2549, said in an August 2567 (2024) speech:
"ธุรกิจพนันในไทยมีอยู่แล้ว แต่รัฐบาลไม่ได้อะไรเลยจากเงินหมุนเวียนมหาศาล เราต้องดึงสิ่งเหล่านี้ขึ้นมาบนดิน ควบคุมให้ถูกต้อง และนำรายได้มาพัฒนาประเทศ"
What it means for players
No casino is legal in Thailand today, and the bill that would allow them inside entertainment complexes is still a draft, not law. The revised text would bar Thai nationals from playing unless they deposit at least 50 million baht, a threshold that would exclude almost all local players, while the rules for foreign visitors are not set out in the reporting. Nothing has been reported on what license conditions, entry rules or taxes would apply to expats and tourists. Until the bill passes and receives royal endorsement, gambling outside state-run outlets such as the national lottery remains illegal under existing gambling laws in Asia, and the practical position for anyone in Thailand is unchanged.
What happens next
The third public consultation closes on 1 March 2568 (2025). The draft then goes back to the cabinet. Whether the government keeps pushing the bill or lets the Council of State's tighter text stand has not been decided, and no date has been reported for a cabinet decision or a parliamentary vote.
