Thai government is not keen on casinos

The prime minister said although the idea of allowing a legal casino to open here was brought to the attention of the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, the situation had now changed. It was necessary to carefully consider what effects, good or bad, it could cause. Setting up a casino was also not among the government's policies, she said.

Ms Yingluck insisted she had not given any instructions about a legal casino, or even raised the topic. The government's urgent tasks were to solve problems concerning the people's livelihood, she added.

GLO director Wanchai Surakul, in an interview with members of the press who were taken for a tour of Macau, which is renowned for casinos, said that his office had submitted a proposal to Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, seeking the amendment of the Lottery Act to facilitate the opening of an entertainment complex to generate income for the country.

Mr Wanchai said the entertainment complex would need an investment of about us$ 322.6 million. Foreigners might be invited to invest in it. The entertainment complex would include not only a casino but also facilities for other activities such as golf, shopping centres, a language school and a theatre for shows and concerts. It might be located in a remote area such as the Kula Rong Hai arid field in the Central Northeast.

The complex could be ideal for a family vacation, he said. Mr Wanchai said Thailand should get involved in this business because the government could generate revenue from it.

Moreover, casinos had mushroomed in neighbouring countries, such as at the Genting Highlands in Malaysia, Marina Bay Resort in Singapore and Poipet in Cambodia, he said. The GLO chief said the investment in the complex would be returned in less than 10 years.

Democrat Party leader and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he opposed any idea to set up a casino in Thailand and would wait to see what the government would do with this matter.