Discussed: 16 May 2025 at 05: 55
A Senate specific commission that is reviewing the proposed casino-entertainment difficult act has called for a vote on the questionable venture, warning that it might violate the constitution if passed into law.
The commission chaired by Sen Veerapun Suvannamai held a meeting on Thursday where the main topics of discussion were going to be examining the proposed policy and reviewing the key points of the draft legislation.
The commission asked Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to give an explanation of the government’s position. She delegated the task to deputy finance secretary Julapun Amornvivat, but she was absent on an official trip to Vietnam.
Additionally, Mr. Julapun was unable to go because he was accompanying the prime minister on the trip to Vietnam. Sen Veerapun claims that the visit of Ms. Paetongtarn was therefore postponed until June 5.
Otherwise, the committee descended into discussions of the bill’s intellectual component.
Sen Chirmsak Pinthong, a council advisor, claimed the government’s draft legislation was a covert attempt to legalize large-scale games.
He criticized it for giving a scheme board chaired by the prime minister increased authority. He refers to the table as the” game case.”
There are clarity concerns raised by the document law, which dimly limits state income generated from game concessions to no more than 5 billion ringgit rather than setting a cap on the amount allowed.
He also questioned why agreements may be made without a bidding process, without a common reading or environmental impact assessment of the job.
Mr. Chirmsak cited rumors about possible casinos, including a 3,800-acre plot of land at Bangkok’s Klong Toey Port. With property values estimated to be around 1.2 million ringgit per square woo, acquiring the site may require updating the Port Act.
The buyers will have the right to access land value 100 billion ringgit if they only use 10 % of that area for a casino. However, investors would only give the state 1.1 billion baht in concessions every in exchange.
Another suggested locations include Chon Buri’s U-Tapao region and Chiang Mai’s San Kamphaeng city.
If things didn’t go according to plan, Mr. Chirmsak warned that the 30-year game agreement would be a burden on coming generations.
A council member, Kaewsan Atibhoti, said the task might be used to attract foreign investors.