In Thailand and a panel of federal legislators has reportedly submitted a special petition calling on the right-wing coalition government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha to legalize casino gambling.

According to a Wednesday report from the Bloomberg news service, the lawmakers believe that such a move would allow the nation to rebuild its pandemic-hit economy by attracting foreign tourists and their cash to Las Vegas-style casino resorts in cities such as Bangkok and Pattaya. The source explained that the call also forms part of a broader campaign to move Thailand towards a more liberal legal landscape that last month encompassed the legalization of cannabis and a move towards the authorization of same-sex unions.

Internal interest:

Thailand is home to over 66 million people and is reportedly almost completely surrounded by countries including Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia that allow some form of gambling. Pichet Chuamuangphan from the left-leaning Pheu Thai Party purportedly disclosed that the legalization of casinos in the nation could moreover allow it to cash in on domestic holidaymakers that have been travelling abroad so as to gamble.

Chuamuangphan reportedly stated…

“We’re focused on attracting foreigners to step up tourism and draw more money out of their pockets. This will also stem the outflow of money from Thai gamblers and help the government to collect hefty taxes for our economic security.”

Fashionable findings:

The panel of legislators reportedly additionally cited a domestic survey released earlier this month that found 81% of respondents would support the idea of casino resorts in Thailand. Pollsters purportedly discovered that Bangkok as well as areas around the tourist hotspots of Pattaya and Rayong would be the most popular destinations for such venues, which lawmakers believe could lead to an extra $11 billion in annual tax revenues.

Legislative liberty:

Bloomberg reported that the panel’s petition is built upon a special provision within Thailand’s Gambling Act of 1935 that allows the government to give certain areas the right to host gambling-friendly venues while keeping such entertainment illegal across the wider country. In-house analysts Kai Lin Choo and Angela Hanlee purportedly used a March filing to assert that one key to the success of such enterprises would be to allow locals to gamble as foreigner-only facilities in South Korea and Vietnam ‘showed how casinos suffer without steady foot traffic’.

Comprehensive composition:

For his part and Chuamuangphan reportedly stressed that casinos could be brought to Thailand via public-private partnerships involving foreign companies or by issuing licenses direct to overseas firms. Either way and the legislator purportedly finished by disclosing that such facilities would furthermore need to come complete with hotels and retail elements in addition to other forms of entertainment like amusement parks or concert halls.