The Thai government is going to postpone the first reading of the draft legislation which could legalize casinos in the country.
The first reading of the bill by the nation’s parliament was originally scheduled for July 9th, however, according to The Nation, Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri noted that “there is still a lack of public understanding about the purpose of this bill”.
The official furthered that “the government needs more time to thoroughly explain its intent to the public before it proceeds to Parliament”.
The delay comes shortly after the Deputy Finance Minister confirmed that the government maintains sufficient coalition support to advance the legislation, one which is backed by the nation’s prime minister.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra still holds a tenuous majority in the parliament, amongst a fracturing coalition – partially driven by the border tensions with Cambodia.
The chairman of the government whip, Wisut Chainarun, indicated that the political turbulence derailed plans for public awareness campaigns about the proposed legislation which “didn’t happen”.
However, the Cambodian border tensions could indirectly support the bill, as they highlighted that up to 30 casinos operate along the country’s border with Cambodia, and are heavily frequented by Thai gamblers.
Despite this boost, the official notes that the legislation is now going on the backburner, as “we need to start with softer issues first — until the political climate becomes more favorable”.
