Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has warned members of the ruling coalition to support the casino-entertainment complex bill, which is set to be deliberated in parliament on Wednesday, or face expulsion from the government, according to sources close to the matter.
The sources claimed that Thaksin had told all parties in the Pheu Thai-led coalition to vote in support of the bill during its first reading in the House tomorrow. Those who break ranks will be expelled from the coalition, they said.
Most parties in the coalition, including the Bhumjaithai and United Thai Nation parties, have pledged to support the bill, although the Prachachat Party, which has nine MPs under its wing in the House, has previously voiced its opposition to the bill.
Prachachat is led by Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, who is notably the only Buddhist among the party's MPs in parliament. The rest of its MPs in the House are Muslims from the predominantly Muslim border provinces in the deep South, who oppose the move to legalise gambling in the country on religious grounds.
According to the sources, Pol Col Tawee did not attend a cabinet meeting on March 27 that was called to endorse the casino-entertainment complex bill. In fact, he never brought up the topic for discussion with other MPs from the party, they noted.
On Saturday, Sugarno Matha, a Prachachat MP representing Yala, said on Facebook that Pol Col Tawee had sent a letter to the cabinet's secretary-general on Jan 13 to express his concerns about the potential negative impact of casino legalisation, such as an increase in crime rates, including corruption among state officials.
In the letter, Pol Col Tawee questioned whether the economic benefits from the legalisation of casino complexes would be worth the negative impact on the country's youth, before urging the government to carry out additional studies on the matter before proceeding, said Mr Sugarno.
Mr Sugarno went on to say that Pol Col Tawee had pointed out that gambling is also frowned upon by other faiths, including Buddhism.
"The Justice Ministry believes that the bill should take into account religious and cultural prohibitions, particularly when choosing areas to build such complexes," he said.
Pheu Thai secretary-general Sorawong Thienthong, who is also the Minister of Sports and Tourism, on Monday admitted that the Prachachat Party has expressed concerns about the casino-entertainment complex bill.
"It is normal because the party's support base is in the three southern border provinces, and most of the party members are Muslims. However, we can explain and reach an understanding with them," Mr Sorawong said.
However, he denied that Thaksin had threatened to expel coalition parties who do not support the bill. "These claims are false, but we cannot control what people choose to believe."
The government is facing sharp criticism for trying to fast-track deliberation of the entertainment-casino complex bill in parliament despite the lack of a comprehensive study to support it.
Opposition to the bill is gathering pace with doctors, academics and schools joining protests ahead of the House's deliberation of the bill on Wednesday.
Jatuporn Prompan, leader of the People's Unity Group, also urged the public to join tomorrow's protest against the first reading of the bill.
