The virtual public hearing is open until March 1 and the Council of State recommends some adjustments.
The Entertainment Complex Bill has been thoroughly examined by the Council of State, the government’s legal expert system, and an virtual public hearing will take place until March 1 to allow events to voice their concerns before it is sent to congress.
” Even though the Council has amended some items in the act, it has added some slight technicalities, such as the requirement that only 10 % of an entertainment facility will be a casino”, said Atavit Suwanpakdee, chair of an expert panel to the Minister of Industry. ” Nevertheless, it is still unclear how many sites may be chosen and in which parts”.
He claimed that while he supports the construction of a full-service pleasure advanced, the size and proportions must be clearly defined. There must be measures to prevent potential problems, he said, referring to gaming addiction and other social issues.
” Writing a law like this]can be difficult as it can create social problems ]”, he said.
According to the Council’s site, the virtual public hearing may be held from Feb 15 until March 1.
The act states that an entertainment complex may have various types of businesses, including accommodations, shopping malls, venues, meeting facilities and a casino.
Additionally, it stipulates that a casino’s natural size may not exceed 10 % of the total land area of an entertainment complex. If the casino is located inside a tower, it can only get up 10 % of the property’s area, the costs says.
A game place must be kept separate from other commercial establishments by a border or entrance gate. Additionally, a control process must be in place at game entrances and exits to verify the identities of customers before entering or leaving.
Passports, national identification cards and various forms of identification may be checked.
Thanakorn Khomkrit, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation, said that the bill states a game participation need for enjoyment advanced users to adopt.
He even raised questions about the lack of controls and checks and balances in the legislation.
” Amending a bill is similar to writing a plain cheque”, he said. ” The Council’s law-making approach is now in issue for me. ]It is questionable ] whether the Council has made the law tight or free”.
Some international reports demonstrated that legalizing gambling in developing nations may lead to social and economic issues, according to Chittawan Chanagul, an economics professor at Kasetsart University.
He predicted that some areas where casinos are located may experience families becoming insolvent and growing gambling and violence issues.
She pointed to a study on Southeast Asian nations that legalized games.
” There are serious crimes, such as in the Philippines, where there have been robberies, murders and]extortion ]”, she said. It should be noted that legalizing gambling may ultimately cause a number of social issues.
In contrast, some game companies are involved in human trafficking and forced employment, she said, citing analysis.
” Having games in developing countries where there are problems levels of corruption, which is the cause of inadequate law enforcement, may lead to money laundering, murder, murder, ransom”, she said. Because the culture doesn’t allow foreigners to enter the country, all of these things may have a ripple effect that may prevent the economies of these nations from growing.
At the Council’s head office on Phra Arthit Road on Monday, members of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand, Thai People Protecting the Monarchy, and the Dhamma Warrior Legal Foundation filed a petition opposing the Entertainment Complex bill.
Their petition was received by Ratchani Sungthong, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council of State.
Pichit Chaimongkol, one of the protest leaders, said the groups do not want any casinos established in Thailand.
” Thai laws are not strictly enforced, no matter how good the laws are. If the bill]becomes law], there will be a loophole for shady businesses to use the casinos for money laundering”, he said.
” We will object to the law as much as possible. If it is presented to the cabinet and we submit objections to political parties to demonstrate our position, we will protest at Government House.
Atavit: Unclear how many locations
Thanakorn: No blank cheques
Chittawan: Cites foreign studies