The Thai Cabinet has designated the Finance Ministry as the primary agency responsible for reviewing a report prepared by an ad hoc House committee regarding the potential for establishing entertainment complexes with casinos in the country.
According to the local media outlet The Nation Thailand, citing an urgent letter released by the Secretariat of the Cabinet on Monday, the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with 16 other agencies, will review the report and present its recommendations to the Cabinet within a 30-day period.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Health, and Ministry of Industry will partner with the Office of the Council of State, the National Economic and Social Development Council, the National Office of Buddhism, and the Royal Thai Police in addressing this issue.
During a cabinet session on April 9th, the report compiled by the House committee was endorsed. This report extensively outlines the advantages and disadvantages associated with establishing entertainment complexes within Thailand.
These envisioned complexes would encompass casinos, hotels, shopping centers, concert venues, and theme parks, each necessitating a minimum investment of THB 100 billion ($2.73 billion).
Earlier, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, who leads the House committee, expressed that these complexes would contribute to job creation, enhance tourism, and mitigate illegal gambling. He anticipated an annual revenue of THB 40 billion ($1.1 billion) to THB 50 billion ($1.4 billion) from these complexes.
At the same time, a study submitted to the Thai parliament suggested that legalizing casinos within entertainment complexes in Thailand has the potential to boost tourism revenue by approximately $12 billion, with an expected increase in average tourist expenditure by 52 percent to THB 65,050 ($ 1,790) per trip.
The study also found that the additional income generated could enhance the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 1.16 percentage points.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat also stated that, upon approval of the plan, a policy-level committee will be formed to oversee the project, with the Prime Minister serving as its chairperson.
Subsequently, an administration-level committee will be established, comprising ministers and executives from pertinent agencies, to meticulously assess every facet of the project.
