Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra defended the government's entertainment complex bill, pointing out that the controversial casinos only hold a 10% stake in each venue, while a Democrat Party member accused the Pheu Thai Party-led government of attempting to establish a "sin economy."
Thaksin spoke to the public and media in Nakhon Pathom, responding to criticisms of the bill received by the parliament.
He stated that the minority voices opposing the bill are mostly due to misunderstandings of the bill's wording and intentions.
The former business tycoon claimed that most respondents to a survey on the complex were supportive, but he also acknowledged that most opponents are concerned that establishing casinos on Thai soil could lead to money laundering and other illegal activities.
The father of Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra admitted that the public lacks understanding of the purpose of the bill, which is a mistake made by legislators in explaining it to the public, and pointed out that only 10% of the proposed project is for building casinos.
He urged legislators to amend the bill to make it appear less focused on regulating casinos and more on addressing the entire casino system's issues.
When asked whether the issue would trigger a national referendum, Thaksin disagreed and expressed hope that the bill could be completed within this year, so that relevant regulatory bodies could be established next year.
Meanwhile, the director of the Thailand National Economic Research Institute and Democrat Party member Alongkorn Ponlaboot stated that building entertainment complexes is an attempt to create a sin economy.
He wrote on Facebook that a sin economy "usually refers to economic activities and markets associated with undesirable industries, such as gambling, alcohol, tobacco, sex work, and other morally questionable goods and services."
Alongkorn wrote that he does not see this effort as an economic or cultural issue, but as one that could potentially affect the nation's social foundation. He questioned whether the country is "ready to adopt a sin economy or grey culture as a means of economic and social progress." He expressed his desire to know if, by adopting such practices, Thailand could maintain its ethical and moral foundations over the next 50 or 100 years, or whether these foundations would be eroded.
Mr. Alongkorn also questioned whether the country truly has no other options for development and called on people to contribute their answers as citizens.
