Council of State clarifies concerns as Cabinet mulls casino bill

The government’s legal team reiterated its concerns over the draft Entertainment Complex Bill on Monday, as Thailand took another step towards legalising gambling and casinos.  

Council of State Secretary General Pakorn Nilpraphan emphasised the legalisation must be based on government policy focused on developing "man-made destinations" such as theme parks and entertainment complexes. Speaking as the draft was presented to Cabinet for approval, Pakorn denied the council was opposed to the bill.

He noted that the Finance Ministry drafted the law following a study by a House of Representatives panel that focused on entertainment complexes and illegal gambling. The Council of State thus recommends that the bill should be written more broadly to ensure it reflects the government’s wider policy directive on “man-made destinations”.  

Pakorn also pointed out that the entertainment complex concept, as outlined in the House of Representatives' study report, primarily aims to address gambling problems. However, the Council of State views the creation of entertainment complexes as not directly solving gambling issues. If the government wishes to address gambling directly, it should focus on other areas, such as people's habits and behaviour toward gambling, which are already regulated by existing gambling laws. Therefore, the draft bill must clarify its objectives before being presented to the Cabinet for consideration, deciding whether it will emphasise man-made destinations or focus on entertainment complexes.

At the same time, Pakorn also stated that if the focus is on "man-made destinations", gambling would only be a small component. If this is the case, the scope of the law needs to be expanded to encompass a broader range of issues. He suggested that the Cabinet should clarify the matter before proceeding.

When asked if the bill would be considered illegal if it conflicted with the government's policy, Pakorn said no. Entertainment complexes are only a small part of the broader policy, and the government's goal is to develop man-made destinations to attract tourism, which aligns with its stated policy, he explained

He said he was not suggesting anything had been hidden, only that the draft law and its target objectives are not yet clear. He urged the Cabinet to clarify its position and engage in a transparent discussion with society.

He also stated that if the bill is presented to the Cabinet today, the Council of State would draft the law in line with the government’s stated objectives to ensure the policy could be implemented smoothly.

Pakorn added that the media’s sensationalising of the issue was threatening his job as Council of State chief.