Discussed: 20 Jan 2025 at 18:23
MAHA SARAKHAM: Previous leading Thaksin Shinawatra on Monday slammed critics of the administration’s proposed casino-entertainment complex task, saying they were distorting the reality by calling it a game.
Defending the policy, Thaksin said that most of the casino-entertainment scheme would be devoted to other attractions while gaming would account for less than 10 % of the venues ’ activities.
He said that at least 20,000 jobs would be created per site and each employee would be guaranteed to earn at least 20,000 ringgit a quarter. He said that those who called the leisure complex a game were spreading propaganda.
According to him, allowing a game within an pleasure advanced was first considered during the Thai Rak Thai leadership, yet before Singapore opened its first advanced.
” But the thought faced strong criticism, particularly from fools, while Singapore went away. Then people better understand the concept, and we should proceed ahead,” he said.
He made the comments while out on the campaign route with a Pheu Thai member standing in the Feb 1 municipal operational company poll in Maha Sarakham.
Over the weekend, Thaksin, widely seen as the de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai, rejected a call for a common vote on the legalisation of games after the government approved the leisure complex act in principle next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, People’s Party ( PP ) MP Nont Paisanlimcharoenkit on Monday expressed concerns over the bill’s lack of mechanisms to prevent money laundering.
He said that the costs required licensed providers to be responsible for implementing anti-money laundering measures but without supervision it could lead to neglect on the government’s element.
The PP MP urged the government to introduce mechanisms to prevent money-laundering in the bill and require casinos to report financial transactions to a relevant committee for review and submission to the Anti-money Laundering Office ( Amlo ) for a greater transparency.
List-Democrat MP Jurin Laksanawisit, even speaking on Monday, said that the questionable task should be put up for a common vote to support a program that had not been element of its election manifesto.
Senator Nantana Nantavaropas said the Senate was awaiting more information before provide insight on not only the business but also the cultural problems likely to arise.
On the phone for the job to be decided by common vote, she said a public referendum may arrive at a higher cost and have to solve complex details. However, if these challenges could be overcome, a referendum would be welcome.