The new government of Thailand continues to push forward the gambling legalization plan. Deputy Finance Minister Julapong stated that the results of the online public hearing on the bill related to large entertainment centers with casinos showed that 80% of participants supported the plan.
Currently, the opinions collected will be used to revise and improve the bill, and discussions will be held with coalition parties. If a consensus is reached, it will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval, and then to the Legal Committee for review, followed by submission to the Parliament.
The public consultation was completed last month, and the Ministry of Finance is legally advancing the revision of the draft. According to the current draft proposal, the approved gambling license will have a term of 30 years, and the licensee can apply for a 10-year renewal.
In the past, several Thai governments have pushed for the legalization of gambling, hoping to attract more foreign tourists to increase local employment and national revenue, but each initiative has been opposed by domestic conservatives and failed.
