Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra defends her government’s plan to legalize casino gaming after China’s President Xi Jinping raised concerns during their recent meeting.
Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra defended her government's proposal to legalize casino gaming anew, amid concerns by China President Xi Jinping about the plans.
During a press briefing held February 11, Paetongtarn said President Xi gave her the warning during a meeting between the two. She admitted that President Xi quizzed her during their meeting the previous week.
Paetongtarn shared that she reiterated Thailand's commitment to instead focus on developing these facilities as integrated resorts, assuring that these casinos take up less than 10 percent of the total floor space.
The bill states that private companies must operate entertainment complexes with a minimum paid-up capital of THB 10 billion (PHP 16 billion, US$285 million). It also suggests that these projects be joint ventures between the government and private operators, potentially using a concession model similar to Macau's.
The exact number and locations of these integrated resorts (IRs) are yet to be decided, but reports indicate that up to five licenses could be issued, including two in Bangkok.
Several major global IR operators have expressed interest in Thailand, including Las Vegas Sands, Genting Singapore, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts, and MGM Resorts. Notably, MGM Resorts stated last year that it would bid for a Thai IR license through its Macau subsidiary, MGM China.
The council have until March 6 to decide on the bill. According to a report by Bangkok Post, there are differences in the revised version of the bill. They also assured that casino space will take up not more than 10 percent of the space.
Reception so far about the bill has been mixed, with local civil groups calling for a referendum.
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