CHIANG MAI: Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has expressed confidence the government's entertainment complex bill will still enjoy easy passage through the House of Representatives, with enough support from coalition parties at hand.
Amid growing opposition by various groups against the bill, which involves legalisation of casinos and allow them to be a part of an entertainment complex, the bill's deliberation in the Lower House was recently deferred to the next parliamentary session, due to begin in two months.
The government at first appeared determined to push the first reading of the bill last Wednesday, one day before the parliament session ended. But just as protests escalated, the government suddenly backed down on the plan, saying the bill could wait as more pressing issues had come up, including the US' reciprocal tariffs.
"That's fine. It might be little slower but when it is time for the prime minister to make decisions, she will do it," said Thaksin on Sunday, when asked to what extent the current political situation had stalled the government's plan to implement its entertainment complex-casino policy.
The ex-premier, widely seen as the de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, also defended the bill, saying those groups moving to oppose the measure were distorting information with the intent of misguiding the public that the bill was all about casino legalisation, which was untrue.
Thaksin said that since the US reciprocal tariff issue requires so much of the government's attention at the moment, the entertainment complex bill could wait for a while. He said misunderstandings among some coalition parties over the bill weren't serious enough to become a setback to its progress.
"That will be alright. And the Senate's objections to the bill are its problem [not ours], as this government has in hand enough support [from government MPs]," he said. "However, it's also important for the government to listen carefully to the public to ensure most people really have no problem with the bill," he said.
Asked whether he believed the Bhumjaithai Party, the second largest coalition party after Pheu Thai, would support Pheu Thai's push to pass the bill till the end, Thaksin simply said: "Politics is politics."
Thaksin also responded to questions on how he viewed Bhumjaithai's reaction to the bill. He simply said: "Bhumjaithai is Bhumjaithai."
Bhumjaithai's secretary-general, Chaichanok Chidchob, on Wednesday made headlines when he declared during a House meeting that he would never support any casino legalisation.
The move prompted Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul to play down Mr Chaichanok's comment, saying it was personal rather than a resolution of the party. He said Bhumjaithai would still support the entertainment complex bill.
Although there might be some misunderstandings between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai, Thaksin said, he believed the ruling party would be able to manage the conflicts. Thaksin was speaking to reporters in Chiang Mai on Sunday to celebrate Songkran festivities.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn is a member of the younger generation who prefers to deal with problems in a straightforward manner, though sometimes the advice of an "old man" from a past generation is needed too, said Thaksin.
He declined to comment on the possibility of a cabinet shake-up to help ease political tensions, saying the decision lies with the PM.
In Bangkok, Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, meanwhile, said the pause in debate on the entertainment complex bill was a good opportunity for the government to listen to differing views.
