BANGKOK: Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat (pic) said on Wednesday (June 19) that the final draft of the bill to allow the opening in Thailand of large entertainment complexes with casinos would be ready for deliberations by the Cabinet in three or four weeks.
Julapun said 16 government agencies had submitted their views to him regarding the plan to allow large entertainment complexes with casinos.
Julapun said the initial bill was drafted by a special House committee in charge of studying the entertainment complex project.
He said he would compile the opinions of 16 government agencies as supplement documents attached to the draft that would be revised in three or four weeks before it would be sent to the Cabinet for approval.
If approved, the bill would be sent to the Office of the Council of State for vetting before being tabled before the House of Representatives, Julapun said.
He said the 16 agencies provided inputs on both economic and social impacts from the project.
On the economic impact, Julapun said, all the 16 agencies agreed that such entertainment complexes could boost Thailand’s economy.
But on social impact, several agencies proposed mechanisms for protecting members of the society from the effects of gambling.
Julapun said the 16 agencies also noted that several related laws would have to be amended if such casino entertainment complexes were to be allowed to operate in Thailand.
He added that the study of the policy was led by the Finance Ministry but the bill would propose the establishment of a national committee to take charge of the project. The committee will have representatives from several agencies, Jullapun added.
He said the entertainment complex project would bring about 30 billion to 50 billion baht in investments into the country. He added that the casinos would take up no more than 5% of space in each comprehensive entertainment complex that would also include hotels and other entertainment facilities. - The Nation/ANN
