Groups opposed to the Entertainment Complex Bill gathered outside the parliament on Wednesday, demanding the government’s casino legislation not only be delayed but withdrawn.
The parliamentary debate on the bill, which would legalise casinos, was postponed.
Priority was instead given to debating the crisis stemming from the US decision to slap a 36% tariff on imports from Thailand, and the aftermath of the deadly earthquake last month.
On Wednesday, chief government whip Wisut Chainarun said the casino bill was only delayed, not withdrawn.
However, that did not mean it would be at the top of the agenda for the next parliamentary session, he said.
While the coalition parties were in agreement, it was important that the government come to an understanding with the public, he said.
“Differences of opinion are normal in a democracy, and it is essential to foster public understanding,” he said.
Protesters wearing white shirts and holding Thai flags and signs opposing the bill marched to the parliament on Wednesday. They insisted the government should drop its plan to legalise casinos.
Although the government claimed to be focused on an integrated entertainment complex rather than a casino, it still involved a casino, said Pichit Chaimongkol, leader of the Network of Students and People for Thailand’s Reform. Legalised casinos would be harmful for the people and the country, he added.
He also expressed concern that the government’s rush to pass the legislation might involve a vested, private interest in the project.
“Our objective is to stop the casino. If the bill is not withdrawn, our group will take action to stop the government,” said Warong Dechgitvigrom, leader of the Thai Pakdee Party.
Khumphong Phumphukhieo, a protest leader, said people were concerned that legalising casinos could lead to a worsening of money laundering and other criminal activities.
The protesters also said they did not trust the government or believe it would be able to ensure transparency in its management of entertainment complexes with casinos.
They cited the government’s failure to ensure effective implementation of the digital wallet money handout as a reason not to trust the government when it came to large projects.
Former senator Somchai Sawangkarn questioned the real intention behind the Senate’s decision to set up a committee to study the bill, saying he suspected it would instead be used as a tool to support the bill, not to really scrutinise it.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bangkok, Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana, has also petitioned the government to reject the casino proposition.
He emphasised his opposition to casinos, which he said could lead to many social problems. He did not oppose other entertainment catering to all genders and age groups, he said.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said during a meeting of senior government officials on Wednesday that opposition to the legislation was most likely political gamesmanship, Opponents were distorting the intention behind the entertainment complex, in her view.
“The casino will occupy only 10% of the entertainment complex. It’s not about allowing anyone to open a casino anywhere, turning the country into a land full of casinos. That’s simply not true,” she said.
