House Debate on Casino Bill Postponed Until April 9
BANGKOK, Thailand – The highly anticipated debate on the government-sponsored entertainment complex bill, which includes provisions for a casino, has been postponed until at least April 9.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha announced today that the bill, originally planned for discussion during today’s House meeting, would not be debated as scheduled. He explained that he was unaware the bill had been added to the agenda while he was participating in traditional events marking the end of Ramadan, which led to a delay in the bill’s proper scheduling.
The bill, submitted by the Pheu Thai Party, was first accepted by Phichit Chuamuangpan, the first Deputy House Speaker, and was initially added as the 15th item on the agenda. However, it was later moved to the first item, marked as an urgent issue.
Despite this, Speaker Wan clarified that the bill could not be discussed today due to the procedural requirement of distributing copies of the bill to all Members of Parliament ahead of the debate, allowing them adequate time for study.
As a result, today’s urgent parliamentary discussion focuses instead on the aftermath of last Friday’s earthquake, which affected several regions of the country.
The casino bill will now be postponed until the next scheduled parliamentary session on April 9.
