Hua Hin was recently proposed as a casino venue during a debate in parliament in Bangkok, many MPs who supported the controversial plans that have been hotly debated in Thailand for decades have been revealed.
The complex will also include a car race track, theme park, world-class hotels and shops. The discussion about legalizing gambling in the kingdom was sparked by the suggestions of prominent local businessman and government adviser Udorn Olsson, who recently posted plans to build a casino and entertainment complex in Hua Hin on his Facebook page.
Proponents stress that the complex would be a major financial boon to Thailand as it will lead to an increase in tourism revenues and allow the state to generate significant tax revenues from the project.
In fairness, Hua Hin isn’t the only place touted as a potential site for Thailand’s first legal casino, which also includes Bangkok, Chonburi, and Chiang Mai.
Pichet Chuamuang Phan, MP for the Pheu-Thai Party in Chiang Rai, called for the green light to open an entertainment complex in Bangkok. The government should not have to invest any money because the project can be financed through trade and foreign investment, Pichet said. He added that only those over the age of 21 are allowed to enter the casinos.
Progressive Party Domkiat Chaiwisutthikul joined the call to build the Hua Hin complex. Mongkolkit Suksintharanon of the Thai Sriwilai Party took a different stance: Gambling should be legalized in Thailand to rid the country of the widespread illegal gambling and underground casinos.
Mongkolkit claimed there were 50 illegal casinos in Bangkok alone and at least two in every province in Thailand. He went on to say that Thailand’s illegal gambling sector, which includes online gambling, would generate 100 billion baht in revenue. An extraordinary committee of 60 cabinet members has now been set up to discuss the matter further.
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