Political turmoil resurfaces in Thailand as former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the "Proud Thai Party," Anutin publicly questioned the cabinet reshuffle in June, stating that he and his party were sidelined primarily for refusing to cooperate with the legalization of casinos and the relaxation of online gambling policies.
At a press conference, Anutin unusually lashed out, emphasizing that during the Proud Thai Party's control of the Ministry of Interior, numerous reforms were actively promoted, including raids on underground casinos, closure of illegal entertainment venues, gun control, and disaster prevention measures. He stated that the only initiative not advanced was the legalization of casinos, "which is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior but a national issue requiring inter-ministerial consultation."
He refuted the "For Thai Party" senior officials' claims that the minister was replaced due to failure to advance policies, accusing them of misleading the public, "What we refused were the gray areas of casinos and online gambling, not negligence."
Facing the casino issue, Anutin further criticized it as a "tool for profit for specific consortia," which would not boost the economy but would lead to worsening public security, family breakdowns, and other negative effects. "Look, even other parties in the ruling coalition dare not publicly support casinos, fearing public backlash."
He further pointed out that public opinion surveys showed the Ministry of Defense, not the Ministry of Interior, was the least satisfactory, "This power shift has no basis in public opinion, it's just political maneuvering."
Public opinion generally believes that Anutin's strong stance not only reveals significant internal government divisions over the casino policy but also indicates that Thailand's political situation will enter a new round of power struggles and public opinion turmoil due to the gambling legalization issue.
