Angry protesters in Thailand stormed the Ministry of Finance, demanding the government to cancel its controversial plan to legalize casinos.
The demonstration was led by three hardline groups, accusing Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat of supporting a bill that would open the doors to Thai gamblers, not just foreign tourists.
The protest, initiated by the Network of Thai Reform Students and Citizens, the Legal Army, and the Center for the Protection of the Monarchy, has been camping outside the government building since Sunday, vowing to fight against the bill. Despite no response, they escalated their protest directly to the Ministry of Finance, the key department pushing the bill through.
What is their main demand? They demand a complete halt to the Entertainment Complex Act, which aims to legalize casinos in Thailand. Julapun has become the main target of protesters' anger as he is responsible for drafting the bill. Protesters accuse him of neglecting safety measures that should restrict Thai citizens' access to casinos, especially the parliamentary suggestion that Thai customers must have a minimum bank deposit of 50 million Thai Baht.
"Julapun claims these casinos are set up for foreign tourists, but by removing financial restrictions, it's clear the government is just using tourists as an excuse to legalize gambling for Thais," a protest leader declared.
The demonstration also became a platform for another longstanding demand. The groups called on the Ministry of Finance to respond to their request submitted on March 27 last year, to seize assets worth 4.6 billion Thai Baht of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. They blame Thaksin for past policies and the severe damage caused.
As tensions escalated, Julapun's senior assistant Sikharin Limnijsorakul appeared and accepted the protesters' dissent letter. However, this move did not quell the street anger, with no signs of compromise, the battle over the casino bill is far from over, and protesters vow to continue pressuring until the government abandons the plan.
