Thaksin pushes for Entertainment Complex, legalisation of online gambling

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the government’s Entertainment Complex policy during a special broadcast of "Breaking Through Thailand's Deadlock," aired live on Nation TV on Wednesday (July 9). The show was hosted by three senior editors from the Nation Group.

Thaksin responded to comments made by Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, who claimed that the decline in Chinese tourism to Thailand—down by 70-90%—was primarily due to the Thai government’s Entertainment Complex policy. 

Anutin suggested that the Chinese government had previously issued multiple warnings about the policy.

Thaksin responded by stating that the reality was that the issue coincidentally aligned with the Bhumjaithai Party's policy of opposing the Entertainment Complex, which is why it became such a major news story.

Thaksin clarified that the policy had not yet been implemented and therefore had no impact on the tourism sector. He pointed out that the actual issue was related to safety concerns, which were being addressed through the government's push for Smart City development. Thaksin stated that once Smart Cities are established, they would enhance safety and ensure greater protection for tourists.

Additionally, Thaksin emphasized that the installation of AI-powered cameras across the country would significantly increase safety, further alleviating concerns over tourist security.

When asked whether changing the Interior Minister would improve safety, Thaksin replied that it should indeed enhance safety, particularly regarding call centres and fraud. He also pointed out that some Chinese nationals running call centres in Thailand frequently travel through Myanmar, residing in apartments worth billions. 

Thaksin clarified that people viewed the entertainment complex as a casino, but in reality, it was an investment in tourism. He compared it to a country investing in a ski resort, which would rely on additional revenue streams, such as concerts, to make it financially viable. The Entertainment Complex would offer a variety of entertainment, including a casino, which would take up no more than 10% of the space. 

He stressed that not everyone could access the casino, as there would be a strict Know Your Customer (KYC) system in place to ensure that only those with legitimate income could participate. Thaksin himself, as a politician, was not allowed to enter casinos in Thailand.

He added, “It’s not like anyone can just walk in without any income or tax records. These people have learned from the casinos in Cambodia; it’s completely different.”

When asked whether the government, with its slim majority and lack of stability, should continue pushing this policy, Thaksin responded, “We can’t afford to wait. We need to take action. If the government doesn’t make it, then there will be another election. We do what we can and do our best.”

He said he told his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, “Our duty is to work for the country, to give it our all. Whatever comes of it, that’s what we’ll get. We can’t afford to say ‘wait.’ We must act now.”

He also stated that Thailand's economy is losing a tremendous opportunity due to underground activities, especially online gambling, which involves a massive annual turnover of 150 billion baht. Each online gambling session generates 2.5 to 4 million baht, but the money flows out of the country without contributing to the domestic economy.

This does not include the money lost through licensed gaming content that Thai people play, which amounts to over 50 billion baht, nor the 70-80 billion baht lost due to scams like call centre fraud. Combined, these figures total more than 280 billion baht, not to mention the money involved in drugs and other illegal activities circulating outside the system.

All of this represents the underground economy, which is estimated to be worth around 300 billion baht annually, causing Thailand to miss out on potential revenue or the chance to bring this off-the-books economy into the formal system.

Another important point he raised was that legalising online gambling could allow Thailand to control and address the impacts on affected groups, especially the youth.

Thaksin proposed that if online gambling were brought into the open with strict regulations, such as using Digital ID for identity verification before playing, setting an age limit to prevent those under 20 from participating, and implementing a real-time monitoring system via a dashboard, it would allow the government to manage it effectively.

He explained, “Today, we know exactly who is playing and which network they’re using—whether it’s True, AIS, NT, or 3BB—but we can’t do anything because it’s all underground. If we bring it into the open, we can control it better, collect taxes, and protect children from being exploited. If someone develops a serious addiction, we can immediately intervene and offer treatment.”

Thaksin emphasised that the underground economy must be addressed, stating, “We need to be bold enough to talk about it and take action, because today, it’s becoming ‘half of the country’s GDP’ that isn’t accounted for in the system. If we continue to ignore it, we’ll miss out on a huge opportunity.”Thaksin pushes for Entertainment Complex and legalisation of online gambling