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Academics in Thailand Demand a Referendum on Entertainment Complexes

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Even if political momentum is pushing the nation closer to opening its first entertainment complexes, also referred to as casino resorts, opposition is still strong.

Thailand is almost certain to establish casino resorts, both legally and practically, as the government has already made public announcements about four potential places.

This hasn’t, however, diminished opposition to the proposed law, which is still being finalized. During a roundtable sponsored by Krungthep Turakij on Wednesday, a number of scholars expressed support for a referendum.

Thai Scholars Question Whether Casinos Are a Good Idea

Nonarit Bisonyabut, a senior researcher at the Thailand Development Research Institute, has also supported the professors’ proposal, arguing that communities and individuals in Thailand ought to have a vote in whether or not they wish to host such initiatives in the first place. The referendum can also serve as a venue for raising awareness of the project’s benefits and drawbacks.

Nonarit contends that the economic advantages of these projects may be outweighed by a host of potentially undesirable repercussions that could have a detrimental impact on society. According to Nonarit, one of these concerns is that certain companies might acquire every license that is available for a given service, creating monopolies.

Nonarit contends that local populations who would likely be most affected by these developments should be surveyed and their views given to legislators if a referendum is not feasible. Thailand has insisted that the success of comparable developments in Singapore served as inspiration for the construction of its own casino resorts.


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Nonetheless, Nualnoi Treerat, the director of Chulalongkorn University’s Centre for Gambling Studies, has issued a warning that the draft law aiming to establish casino resorts in Thailand has not yet met a high standard of care for society and does not have the same mitigating safeguards as its Singaporean counterpart.

Significantly, Nualnoi contends that there are no safeguards for susceptible customers or those who suffer from gambling-related suffering. For instance, Singapore has screened its citizens and automatically denied 300,000 people entry to its casinos.

The Rule of Law Is Essential to Managing a Secure Gambling Business

The main justification for casino resorts is not so much about possible societal costs as it is about business expenses. For instance, Chittawan Chanakul, an economics professor at the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, contends that Singapore’s circumstances are not comparable to Thailand’s.

Thailand is thought to be a fairly corrupt nation that struggles to uphold the rule of law. Therefore, it might not be the best idea to support gambling and casino resorts because they may result in money laundering and corruption.

According to Chittawan, the gambling sector must be rigorously and carefully watched, which may not be the case if there is any suspicion that watchdogs are favoritism. Despite the fact that the resistance to entertainment complexes is generally well-established and supported by concrete evidence, lawmakers appear to be double eager to continue.

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Oscar Alder
Oscar Alder
A newcomer to the iGaming industry, eager to learn and grow in the world of online gaming. Though just starting out, he brings fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to understand the ins and outs of the industry.

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