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Academics and civil society have carefully analyzed the draft Entertainment Complex Bill. “Not true to the cover – giving a blank check – favors capital groups” Jeb asked, does Thailand have to rely on casinos to save the economy?
On August 14, 2024, after the Ministry of Finance of Civil Society of the Asian Hotel Academic Network in Bangkok opened online for comments from August 2 to 18, 2024, children, youth and the media organized a forum to criticize the Draft Comprehensive Entertainment Industry Operation Law BE…, but most people did not thoroughly understand the information
Mr. Thanakorn Khomkrit, Secretary General of the Anti-Gambling Movement Foundation, said: “There are 3 observations about this draft bill: 1. It does not match the cover – it says that this will be a Singapore-style large-scale project with a large convention center. A five-star hotel as well as a comprehensive department store has a regulator that can be trusted. There are also protections, remedial measures and impact reduction, but the content of this draft bill cuts or reduces a lot of details, only shopping malls and small hotels that are not necessarily five-star international convention centers are not. Be. The important thing is what has been said before. There will be institutions and measures to take care of them to reduce problems and reduce impacts, but the fund categories proposed by the research committee were completely deleted. 2. Blank check – The draft gives huge powers to the policy committee or super committee to completely consolidate power. Who will issue the license? Where will it be set up? How big is the area? What percentage of tax do you pay? And almost all obstructive laws are eliminated. Importantly, the bill eliminates measures on listening to the opinions of the owners of the area and facilitating large capital groups.
“By stipulating that license holders must have 10 billion baht of paid-up registered capital, foreign investment is exempted without having to bid for contracts extended to 30 years. In addition, it opens the door for all exceptions to be approved by the super board. Surprisingly, casinos are also allowed to issue loans. Anyone who comes to the casino but is unable to repay the debt can also get a loan. Moreover, it is a statutory debt, so the draft bill is considered to still have many flaws. It is still not suitable for passage and implementation,” said Mr Tanakorn.
Mr. Wichet Phichairat, senior media person, express your opinion “The government is pushing the draft bill to legalize casinos. Maybe because they think that the revenue from casino business will create income for the national economy and tourism. In addition, some politicians may want to have casino business in their own area. Because it creates value for your area. So I want to use this stage. Ask the government: Is it true that casinos are legal to help stimulate tourists and stimulate domestic investment to develop society? Because if we want to stimulate Thailand’s economy and tourism, we have art and culture. Natural tourist attractions with great appeal, lifestyle and street food. It is not necessary to be located in a full-service entertainment venue at all. Most importantly, the draft bill is only open for public comments online. This seems to be done in a hurry, rather than giving the public a chance to really participate in awareness. So I want to leave it to the public sector networks, scholars and religious leaders. The children, youth and women’s networks have fully stood up, played their role, acted, and expressed their opinions on this draft bill.”
Assistant Professor Dr. Chittawan Chanakul, an economics scholar, continued to ask: “What is the purpose of the government’s promotion of casino legalization? If you want to promote the sustainable development of the tourism industry, the information from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the tourism industry is sustainable. The three aspects of economy, society and environment must develop. Whether in the short term or long term, an American academic magazine revealed a fact “Which region is gambling legal? The population in the region will face the most problems, including household debt. Family institutions have collapsed. Crime is rampant throughout the city.” Others say that the value generated by casinos is not worth it! Because for every $1 in casino taxes received by US states, it will spend $3 on relief. Importantly, in a country where corruption is still a serious problem. Poor law enforcement and having a casino will cause twice the disaster. So I would like to ask the government, is Thailand ready to open legal casinos? Because I personally think Thailand is not ready at this time.”
Associate Professor Nuannoi Treerat, Director of the Gambling Problem Research Center, said: “The draft bill was originally going to be a comprehensive entertainment venue. But most of the bill only talks about casino business. There is enough about the document that the “subsidiary account” type of entertainment business tries to reduce the size and standards of other businesses, including department stores and hotels, to lower standards and cancel the social impact mitigation fund. No clear agency has been set up to take it seriously. Instead, the impact creator entrepreneurs have to deal with the impact themselves. This goes against the principle of good management. In addition, the definition of various fees is very loose. In order to be able to change at any time for the benefit of one’s own party, it is considered a “blank check”. This draft bill seems to expect locals to come and play instead of tourists. Therefore, I would like to ask relevant personnel to proceed with caution. When doing casino business, it is necessary to prevent country people from gambling all over the city. Because in the end, the karma will fall on the villagers and the community, which is important if we are to stick to the Singapore model. In Singapore, the law is strictly enforced. And there is no corruption problem. As for Thailand, we still have these problems. Having legal casinos is definitely a bigger burden for the country than developing the economy and tourism industry.”
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