Thailand to withdraw plans to legalise casinos as political turmoil deepens
BANGKOK – Thailand's government will withdraw a controversial Bill to legalise casinos from Parliament following mounting public opposition and a fresh bout of political turmoil that has reduced the ruling coalition's majority.
A motion to withdraw the
so-called 'entertainment complex' Bill from the current session of Parliament will be raised on July 9 when it was previously slotted for consideration, government Whip Visuth Chainaroon told reporters on July 7.
The Cabinet will likely approve the withdrawal plan when it meets on July 8, Mr Visuth said. It's not clear yet whether the government will reintroduce the bill at some point in the future, he said.
The government had earlier indicated that it would delay the introduction of the Bill – set to be the first major agenda after the House of Representatives reconvened last week – saying it needed more time to communicate with the public and address their concerns about problem gambling and money laundering.
'We're not pulling it out of fear or anything,' Mr Visuth said. 'We'd just like to communicate with the people first on the issue and clear any lingering doubts.'
PM suspension
The move to pull the Bill came after the ruling alliance was pushed to the brink by the exit of Bhumjaithai Party, which had opposed the Bill, and the
suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for an alleged ethical misconduct.
Ms Paetongtarn also faces other legal challenges after coming under fire for
a leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen , in which she was critical of the Thai army's role in an ongoing border standoff with the neighboring country.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August
Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses
Singapore Singapore's second mufti Shaikh Syed Isa Semait dies at age 87
Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions
Singapore Shell heist: Second mastermind gets more than 25 years' jail for siphoning $100m of fuel
Asia 72-year-old man on diving trip to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia found dead on the beach
Singapore Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded one bullet and accidentally discharged revolver
Singapore $1.46b nickel scam: Ng Yu Zhi opts to remain silent after judge calls for his defence
Without a clear majority, the government may face challenges in passing controversial or essential Bills that have been lined up in the coming months. The budget Bill for next fiscal year from October is also expected to be taken up for the second and third readings in August.
The move is likely to frustrate foreign investors interested in developing casinos in Thailand as part of big entertainment complexes. The proposed legislation promotes these projects as a means to attract investment and boost tourism – a sector that is crucial to the Thai economy, employing one in five Thais and contributing roughly 13 per cent to the nation's gross domestic product.
Major operators such as Galaxy Entertainment Group, MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, and Melco Resorts & Entertainment have previously expressed interest in setting up integrated resorts in Thailand. BLOOMBERG
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
14 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Brazil's top court backs Lula's tax hike, exempts forfait
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: A general view of the plenary chamber of deputies during a session at the National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo BRASILIA - Brazil's highest court on Wednesday upheld most of a controversial presidential decree raising the country's Financial Operations Tax (IOF), handing a revenue-boosting win to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government. Judge Alexandre de Moraes ruled that only the proposed tax hike on forfait - advance payments made to suppliers that were previously treated by the government as credit operations - would be cut back. The decree, which includes tax hikes on other financial transactions such as credit, foreign exchange, and private pension transactions, had been suspended by Congress, causing the dispute to go up to the Supreme Court. Brazil's finance ministry issued a statement that welcomed the court's decision, saying it would help restore harmony between branches of government. Blocking the proposed IOF tax hike on forfait payments represents a lost revenue of 450 million reais ($80.9 million) this year and a further 3.5 billion reais in 2026, it added. The ministry had previously estimated that the entire decree would boost state coffers by 12 billion reais this year and 31 billion reais in 2026. REUTERS
Straits Times
44 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Merz visits UK as Europe closes ranks in face of threats
Find out what's new on ST website and app. BERLIN/LONDON - Friedrich Merz embarks on his first trip to London as German chancellor on Thursday to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and sign a wide-ranging friendship treaty, as part of a broader push to reset the EU's relationship with Britain. Merz's day trip comes a week after a three-day state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, signaling greater cooperation between Europe's three top powers at a time of growing threats to the continent and uncertainty about their U.S. ally. Europe is facing trade tensions with the United States since the return of President Donald Trump to the White House as well as existential questions about Washington's commitment to helping defend its European allies, including Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion. "The agreement comes at a time when, as Europeans, we are particularly challenged in terms of security policy," a German government official said in a briefing ahead of the trip. "Not stated in the preamble is that transatlantic matters are also — let's put it this way — in flux. This too is part of the context." Germany has such friendship treaties with just a handful of countries like France, symbolizing the closeness of their ties. Coming nearly a decade after Britain voted to leave the European Union, the treaty includes a clause on mutual assistance which, "in light of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, is highly significant", the official said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets Singapore Countering misinformation requires both laws and access to trusted news sources: Josephine Teo It builds on a defence deal agreed last year that included the joint development of long-range strike weapons, and comes after France and Britain agreed last week to reinforce cooperation over their respective nuclear arsenals. German defence tech company Stark on Wednesday announced a new factory in Britain, the first production facility outside of Germany, to create AI-powered unmanned systems. The treaty will include an agreement to jointly combat smuggling and human trafficking, the German official said. The British government said Germany would make a landmark commitment to outlaw the facilitation of illegal migration to Britain with a law change to be adopted by the end of the year. That would give law enforcement the tools to investigate warehouses and storage facilities used by migrant smugglers to conceal dangerous small boats intended for illegal crossings to Britain, it said in a statement. REUTERS
Straits Times
44 minutes ago
- Straits Times
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 17, 2025
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (left) meeting US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on July 16. Bahrain announces $20b in US deals during Trump talks Bahrain's crown prince announced on July 16 plans to invest more than US$17 billion (S$21.8 billion) in the United States at a meeting with President Donald Trump focused on trade, Iran and regional security issues. Under the plan, Bahrain was expected to sign a deal valued at about US$7 billion for its national carrier, Gulf Air, to buy 12 Boeing aircraft with an option for six more and 40 General Electric engines, according to a White House official. 'We're very happy to be announcing US$17 billion worth of deals that are coming to the United States,' said Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. 'And this is real. These aren't fake deals.' READ MORE HERE Syria pulling troops from Druze heartland after Israeli strikes Syria announced that its army had begun to withdraw from violence-hit Sweida on July 16, following a wave of Israeli strikes on the capital and a US call for government forces to leave the majority-Druze southern city. The United States, which is close allies with Israel and has been trying to reboot its relationship with Syria, said an agreement had been reached to restore calm in the area, and urged 'all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets Singapore Countering misinformation requires both laws and access to trusted news sources: Josephine Teo The Syrian government earlier announced a new ceasefire in Sweida that would bring a halt to military operations there, after clashes that a war monitor said had left more than 300 people dead since July 13. READ MORE HERE Two dead, 27 injured as Russia bombs Ukraine town A strike by Russian forces on July 16 on a shopping centre and market in Dobropillia, a town near the front line of the 40-month-old war, killed two people, injured up to 27 and caused widespread damage, officials said. It followed a warning from US President Donald Trump on July 14 for Moscow to reach a peace deal with Ukraine within 50 days or face severe sanctions. Russia had earlier fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile into Ukraine, injuring dozens of people. READ MORE HERE Air India probe finds no issues with fuel switches: NDTV PHOTO: NYTIMES Air India has completed the inspection of fuel control switches on Boeing 787 planes with no issues being found, Indian broadcaster NDTV said on July 16, citing an official. Reuters could not immediately verify the NDTV report. India on July 14 ordered its airlines to examine fuel switches on several Boeing aircraft models, while South Korea ordered a similar measure on July 15, as scrutiny intensified of fuel switch locks at the centre of an investigation into a deadly Air India crash in June that killed 260 people. READ MORE HERE Celebrity paranormal investigator dies on US tour PHOTOS: NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY OF PSYCHIC RESEARCH/FACEBOOK Celebrity paranormal investigator Dan Rivera died suddenly on July 13 while on tour in the United States with the infamous Annabelle doll – the supposedly demon-possessed toy that inspired the horror flick The Conjuring. Coincidence? The answers are not forthcoming, as the exact cause of his death has yet to be ascertained. Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow listed it simply as 'pending'. Paramedics were called to Mr Rivera's hotel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 13, but efforts to revive him failed.
