The Royal Bangkok Sports Club in Thailand is rebooting a major comprehensive entertainment project that has been suspended for many years, planning to invest a total of 260 billion Thai Baht (approximately 51.5 billion RMB) in Bangkok and Phuket. The core of the project includes a legal casino, international resorts, sports and convention facilities, with partners involving the Monaco Gaming Group and a financial consortium from Hong Kong, China, seen as a potential weathervane for the transformation of Thailand's gaming industry.
Mr. Phantacha, the executive director of the club, revealed the two major project areas as follows:
Bangkok Development Zone (budget of 120 billion Thai Baht): Located near Khlong Toei Port and Suwinthawong 101 Road on 3,000 rai of land, plans include a racetrack, convention center, sports arena, hotel, and yacht club, currently awaiting land approval from the Ministry of Transport.
Phuket Flagship Zone (budget of 140 billion Thai Baht): Comprising 275 rai of islands in the Ao Po area and 927 rai of mainland opposite, to be jointly developed with the Monaco Group, the vision includes a seven-star hotel, villas, a yacht marina, an F1 racetrack, a music venue, and an island casino. Phantacha stated that the island will serve as the core area for gaming, positioning the overall site as a high-end tourism complex.
Currently, the project has entered the stage of financial negotiations and has begun preliminary cooperation talks with the investment consortium from Hong Kong. If progress goes smoothly, the Phuket project is expected to commence construction in the first quarter of 2026 and is planned to be fully operational by 2029.
Although the Thai government has not yet officially passed the bill to legalize comprehensive entertainment cities (including casinos), the Royal Bangkok Sports Club stated that the project will proceed flexibly according to policy developments and participate in future official tenders as circumstances allow. Phantacha emphasized, "This is not only an investment opportunity but also a strategic layout to promote the economic upgrade and breakthrough of Thailand's tourism industry."
As an important indicator of the transformation of Thailand's gambling policy, whether the project will ultimately materialize depends on the legislative process of the government and social consensus.
