Thailand's Royal Decree on Entertainment Complex Businesses B.E. 2568 was published in the Royal Gazette, volume 142, part 43 ก, on 21 June B.E. 25681. The publication is recorded on the first page of the issue, which carries the header "*เล่ม ๑๔๒ ตอนที่ ๔๓ ก ราชกิจจานุเบกษา ๒๑ มิถุนายน ๒๕๖๘*"1.
The decree is issued under the power in section 22 of the Constitution to enact an emergency decree where there is an urgent necessity to maintain national or public safety, economic security, or to avert a public calamity1. The text states that entertainment complexes are venues that combine a casino with other businesses, and that the law is needed because such complexes do not currently exist in Thailand and the existing law does not cover them1.
The decree sets out the terms used in the law:
- It defines "entertainment complex business" and states that this means the business of an entertainment complex under this decree1
- It also defines "entertainment complex" as a place that combines a casino with other businesses permitted under the decree1
- The same section defines "casino business", "casino", and "casino operator" in matching terms1
The decree states that the law is intended to regulate entertainment complexes so that they are orderly and do not cause harm to society, and that the business must be operated as a casino business under the law1. It also states that the provisions on casino business apply to entertainment complexes under this decree1.
The decree was signed by the King and countersigned by the Prime Minister1. The published text does not state a date on which the law takes effect, and no licensing body, fee schedule, or list of permitted locations appears in the pages published1.
What it means for players
The decree creates a legal category for venues that combine a casino with other businesses, and it states that casino business under the law must be operated inside such a complex1. It does not by itself open any venue. No casino in Thailand is licensed under this decree on the basis of the published text, and no operator, location, or opening date has been reported1. Gambling outside a licensed complex remains governed by the law that applied before the decree, which the text says did not cover entertainment complexes1. For locals, expats and visitors, the practical position on where and whether casino gambling is permitted in Thailand is unchanged by the publication alone.
What happens next
The published pages do not set out next steps, a commencement date, or the body that will issue licenses1. Those details have not been reported.
For the wider regional picture, see Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Can I Gamble in Thailand?.
Sources1 sources
- Royal Gazette PDF, prt.parliament.go.th
