Phuea Thai Party MP Anusorn recently made a strong defense for the government-promoted entertainment complex bill during a meeting.
He pointed out that as the draft supervised by Prime Minister Pe Tong gradually becomes public, the perception of this controversial policy is undergoing a positive transformation, with supportive voices gradually overshadowing initial doubts.
Facing the ongoing public controversy, the veteran MP emphasized that the current resistance to the bill stems more from misinterpretation of information rather than substantial disagreements.
Anusorn systematically addressed the core contradictions of public concerns. He noted that some groups simplistically equate the complex with "legalization of casinos," which is a severe misreading of the policy framework.
According to him, the planned large-scale complex will integrate five-star hotels, international convention centers, venues for thousands of people, and theme parks among other diverse business forms, with gambling facilities only accounting for one-tenth of the total area.
"This type of mixed-use development is not about encouraging gambling, but about creating a globally competitive tourist landmark that attracts high-quality foreign investment," he emphasized. The project sets a 50 million baht threshold for entry, specifically to build a financial firewall and completely eliminate the concerns about money laundering that worry the public.
Addressing the skepticism about "foreign investment as a conduit for money laundering," Anusorn cited successful examples like Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, emphasizing that an internationally accepted regulatory system can fully ensure the transparency of capital flows. He also revealed that the temporary suspension of the bill's review is not a policy shift, but a proactive communication strategy by the ruling team.
"We are transforming professional policy language into common expressions that the public can understand through national opinion consultation meetings," the MP said, showing the latest poll data indicating an 18 percentage point increase in support on social media platforms compared to last month, demonstrating that deep communication is bridging the gap in understanding.
In response to opposition voices, Anusorn stressed the systematic thinking behind the policy design: "When we talk about the complex, we should not only see the 10% of gambling facilities but also the 90% of added value it brings—new job positions, hosting rights for international events, and the clustering effect of the cultural and creative industries, all of which will inject key momentum into the economic recovery in the post-pandemic era." He concluded by stating that the ruling team has established an all-weather public opinion monitoring mechanism and will continue to release policy interpretations through a new media matrix to ensure that the legislative process remains in sync with public opinion.
