The Democratic Party of Thailand is currently facing internal disagreements over the stance on the entertainment complex bill.
As a member of the ruling coalition, the party leader and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Chalermchai Sri-on, recently stated that since the bill has not yet been formally submitted to the House of Representatives for consideration, the Democratic Party will schedule an internal meeting to discuss it in depth at a later date.
Chalermchai emphasized that the party's executive committee and members of parliament need to fully exchange opinions before making a collective decision. He explained that as the parliament is currently in recess and many members are busy with constituency matters, the discussion will be postponed until the new session begins. This leader of the Democratic Party specifically clarified that the previous public opposition to the establishment of casinos by former party leader Chuan Leekpai represents only his personal stance, not the official attitude of the party.
It is noteworthy that Chuan Leekpai had explicitly stated his opposition to setting up casinos in entertainment venues during campaign activities, a statement that has attracted public attention. Chalermchai stated that although there are different voices within the party, these differences of opinion will not affect the unity of the party. He reiterated that the Democratic Party's decision-making mechanism follows the principle of collective resolution, and no individual statement can represent the final stance of the party.
Currently, the Thai government has temporarily postponed the submission of this controversial bill draft. Observers note that coordination within the ruling coalition and public reaction are key factors affecting the progress of the bill. As an important ruling party, the internal discussion results of the Democratic Party will have a significant impact on the prospects of the bill.
