The bill to introduce casino resorts in Thailand has once again encountered significant resistance. Due to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra being embroiled in a political scandal, the bill has been removed from this week's parliamentary agenda, leaving its reform prospects unclear.
On July 1, the Constitutional Court of Thailand suspended Paetongtarn's duties to review whether her June phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen involved "immoral conduct." During the call, her criticism of Thai military commanders and her promise to the Cambodian side that they could "directly handle any requests" sparked public outrage and severe political turmoil. This situation also impacted the Paetongtarn government's re-promotion of the "Entertainment Complex Act" — aimed at introducing five integrated resorts offering gambling services, a core economic plan to boost investment and tourism.
However, this gambling bill has been controversial since its proposal, with public concerns about corruption, security, and gambling addiction issues. In early July, the bill was urgently withdrawn from the parliamentary session. The ruling party, Pheu Thai Party, withdrew from the coalition and weakened its seats under the scandal's influence, making it difficult to push forward key legislation in the short term.
The government whip Visut Chainarong denied that the withdrawal was due to "political panic," but emphasized the need to further seek public support. Analysts are more pessimistic. Gambling consultant Brendan Busmann expressed concerns about Paetongtarn's political future and the difficulty of continuing gambling reforms. He compared the current situation to the drastic reversal of Thailand's cannabis policy — legalized for medical use in 2018, relaxed for recreational purposes in 2022, and re-criminalized by the Ministry of Health in 2025, catching many investors off guard.
Busmann warned, "The gambling industry needs policy stability. If today promises to build resorts, and tomorrow suddenly overturns them, no one dares to invest long-term." He emphasized that for global gambling operators, constantly changing regulations are the biggest risk.
With Thailand's political situation unclear, the path forward for gambling legislation is bound to be difficult. The dream of legal casinos may once again be shelved.
