PUBLISHED: 9 May 2025 at 03: 30
The Senate’s unique commission, which is looking into the president’s plan to allow new entertainment venues to include a casino, established two subcommittees yesterday to perform a more in-depth analysis of the plan’s potential negative effects.
The second committee has been given the task of examining potential negative effects of the entertainment complex and game initiative on world, legal proceedings, the environment, urban planning, the law, national development strategies, and the process of holding a public election, as required for significant policy changes under Part 77 of the constitution.
The project’s potential economic effects will be investigated by the second subcommittee. This may also apply to Thai gambling, which is still prohibited in Thailand and would require legalization if it were to be included in the entertainment industry.
A source in the special committee stated yesterday that the subcommittees are expected to finish their work and report their findings and recommendations to the main Senate committee by the end of July.
The Senate committee’s findings should be made in time to inform the parliamentary discussions because the government is expected to submit its entertainment complex and casino bill to parliament for consideration in early July, according to the source.
The committee’s chairman, Senator Veerapun Suvannamai, stated that the committee plans to hold discussions on the project with former prime ministers, including Thaksin Shinawatra, at its upcoming meeting on May 15. The committee hopes that she will make an appearance in person, the senator continued. The PM may also designate a representative to attend.