About 1,200 demonstrators from the Network of Students and People Reforming Thailand and the "Anti-Casino" alliance gathered outside parliament early in April 2025 to protest the draft bill on entertainment complexes, which seeks to legalize casinos1. The first reading of the bill in the House of Representatives had initially been scheduled for 9 April1.
The bill was approved by the cabinet on 27 March1. It is expected to bring in 91 to 382 billion baht a year and to increase the number of foreign travellers to Thailand by 5 to 10 percent1. The complexes would mostly comprise concert halls, indoor sports arenas, water parks and/or hotels, while casinos would account for only 10 percent of the space1.
The bill has become a political time-bomb for the Pheu Thai-led government, with questions over which party will bear the brunt when it is put to a vote1. Bhumjaithai, the second-largest party in the coalition, has been caught in the middle since its secretary-general Chaichana Chidchob announced he would not support casinos1. Bhumjaithai currently oversees the Interior Ministry1.
Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the Political and Public Policy Analysis Institute, said the bill is a dilemma for the government and the Bhumjaithai Party, which will face backlash no matter what it decides1.
Thanaporn said he is concerned the casino-entertainment complex bill will trigger a flood of complaints about ethics, which can undermine government stability1. He said the bill is responded to by the government, and ethics complaints can be lodged anytime1.
What it means for players
Thailand does not currently permit casino gambling, and the draft bill would not change that unless it passes both the House of Representatives and the Senate and takes effect. The proposal covers casinos only as a minority share of larger entertainment complexes, at 10 percent of the space, alongside concert halls, indoor sports arenas, water parks and hotels1. No licensing rules, entry conditions, tax rates for players or operating dates have been reported. The bill's first reading was initially set for 9 April, and the next session convenes on 2 July1. Until the law passes, the legal position for anyone gambling in Thailand is unchanged. For background on what is legal in the country, see Can I Gamble in Thailand?, and for the wider regional picture, New Casino Laws in Asia: Integrated Resorts and Pending Bills and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions.
What happens next
The next session convenes on 2 July, when each party's handling of the bill will largely determine how the political time-bomb unfolds1. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, also the Pheu Thai leader, insisted the government has not withdrawn the bill but has it focused on urgent issues, including reciprocal tariffs from the United States1. She said the government would continue gathering public input and clearly communicate its project aims, while opponents of the bill, which involves legalizing casinos as part of entertainment complexes, demanded it be scrapped entirely1.
Sources1 sources
- Bangkok Post - Casino bill 'a time-bomb', bangkokpost.com
