Despite the suspension of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, the Thai government has not withdrawn the "Comprehensive Entertainment Places Act" (i.e., the Casino Act), causing strong political turmoil. The opposition vehemently opposes, pointing out that the bill will enter the parliamentary procedure as the first bill on July 9th. If the government insists on advancing, this move may become a major test of the ruling stability and could even trigger a vote of no confidence, causing a major political earthquake.
On July 2nd, Paris Vacharasin, a member of the People's Party, publicly opposed, questioning the transparency and rigor of the government in the process of advancing the bill. He pointed out that the government has never announced the withdrawal of the bill, which means pushing a widely controversial issue into the parliament, inevitably causing public dissatisfaction and questioning of the ruling authorities.
Paris listed three core reasons for opposition:
Lack of clear economic benefit analysis and solid research support.
There are huge social risks, and the legal content lacks the necessary control mechanisms.
The advancement process is chaotic and disorderly, with the government's position being inconsistent and lacking policy coherence.
He warned that if the government insists on submitting the bill for review on July 9th, the opposition will regard it as a critical point of judgment on the government's ability to govern, and will use Article 151 of the Constitution to promote a motion of no confidence to test whether the government can continue to govern.
Paris revealed that the opposition will hold a meeting on July 3rd to assess the timing of the motion of no confidence, focus on issues, and nominate ministers for accountability. Although the procedure has not yet officially started, if the casino bill is obstructed during the review, public opinion will continue to pressure the government, and may even trigger a government overthrow storm.
Meanwhile, opinions in society are severely divided. Supporters believe that the legalization of casinos can drive economic growth, but opponents generally question whether there is rent-seeking and black-box operations behind the policy, and are more concerned about the impact of gambling problems on the lower classes and social stability.
Analysts point out that if the bill is forcibly passed in the parliament, it may boost the economy in the short term, but if it is rebounded by the parliament or the public, it may endanger the government's legitimacy and lead to a new round of political turmoil.
On July 9th, the Thai political situation may step into the most critical eve of the storm.
