Thailand’s New Prime Minister Appears Gung-ho on Casino Resorts

Anutin Charnvirakul, the newly-appointed Prime Minister of Thailand, has not wasted time mincing his words about how he feels about the introduction of more gambling to the country.

Should legislators be looking to pass and introduce casino resorts, for example, as Anutin said, they would be best advised to wait for another prime minister. This statement has dashed hopes that Thailand would join a regional club of countries to host such facilities in a bid to boost the economy.

Gambling Is a Losing Strategy for the National Economy

Yet, Anutin believes that the economic logic of casino resorts is flawed, siding with academics and other public critics who have repeatedly cautioned that introducing casino resorts would further deepen economic inequalities and drive resources to non-productive parts of the economy.

Anutin is breaking completely with the line maintained by his predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who tried to see the matter resolved, but fits and starts in the legislative bodies of the country failed to produce definitive results.

In July, the House of Representatives vetoed an attempt to withdraw the Entertainment Complex Bill, which the previous government had hoped to do. Ultimately, mused Anutin, stimulating the economy through gambling is a losing strategy.

Another pressing matter is whether Thailand will indeed end its ban on poker, which could boost tourism, backers of the measure argue. However, Anutin seems to be disinclined on this matter as well.

Tourism is unlikely to get a fillip from poker, argues the new prime minister, who has doubled down on pursuing other avenues for economic refresh.