Thailand's ambitious casino entertainment complex project is being forced to a halt due to a sudden political upheaval. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who supported the plan, was recently suspended by the Thai Constitutional Court pending an investigation into her ethical conduct, leaving the future of the casino legalization legislation uncertain.
Since taking office, Paetongtarn has actively promoted the construction of legal casino resorts, hoping to attract international investment and boost Thailand's tourism industry. However, a leaked phone recording with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has severely shaken her political standing. In the call on June 15, she criticized the performance of the Thai military in border conflicts and affectionately referred to Hun Sen as "uncle," promising to "speak up if needed." This statement sparked massive backlash domestically, with thousands of people taking to the streets of Bangkok to protest, and her approval rating plummeted to 9.2%.
Although Paetongtarn has publicly apologized, emphasizing that the content of the call was a "negotiation strategy" rather than her true stance, the public remains skeptical. She could become the fifth Thai Prime Minister forced to step down since 2006, with her father Thaksin Shinawatra being ousted in a military coup that year.
This crisis has directly impacted the progress of the "Entertainment Complex Act." The bill proposes to establish up to five integrated casinos in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Chonburi, and Bangkok, attracting international gaming giants including Galaxy, Melco, and MGM. However, the move is controversial domestically. A petition submitted by a civic group has gathered over 54,000 signatures, calling for a referendum on the legalization of casinos, with opposition focusing on concerns about gambling addiction, gang infiltration, and moral decline.
The debate on the bill, originally scheduled for July 3 in the parliament, has also been forced to be postponed for at least a month. Moreover, a special Senate committee has called on the government to abandon the casino plan altogether. Meanwhile, Hun Sen himself stated in a televised speech on June 27: "I hope Thailand will have a new Prime Minister who can properly handle affairs with neighboring countries, including Cambodia."
Despite the Thai government's push for high-end entertainment complexes to reshape the tourism brand and revive the economy, the plan's implementation seems far off due to the current political turmoil and legislative resistance.
An industry insider admitted: "We are seeing more and more Chinese tourists choosing Japan, South Korea, and Singapore over Thailand." As regional tourism competition intensifies, Thailand's inability to build new attractions could gradually marginalize it in the Southeast Asian tourism landscape, turning it into a "lagging player."
