Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has cautioned members of the ruling coalition to support the casino-entertainment complex bill, which is set for parliamentary discussion on Wednesday, or risk being expelled from the government, according to sources familiar with the situation.
These sources indicated that Thaksin has instructed all parties within the Pheu Thai-led coalition to vote in favor of the bill during its first reading in the House tomorrow. Those who do not comply will be removed from the coalition, they claimed.
Most coalition parties, including Bhumjaithai and United Thai Nation, have committed to supporting the bill; however, the Prachachat Party, which has nine MPs in the House, has previously expressed opposition to the proposal.
Leading Prachachat is Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, the only Buddhist among the party’s MPs, while the rest are Muslims from the predominantly Muslim southern border regions, where legalizing gambling is opposed on religious grounds.
Sources noted that Pol Col Tawee did not attend a cabinet meeting on March 27 convened to discuss the casino-entertainment complex bill, nor did he raise the topic with other party MPs.
On Saturday, Sugarno Matha, a Prachachat MP from Yala, revealed on Facebook that Pol Col Tawee had sent a letter to the cabinet’s secretary-general on January 13 expressing concerns about the potential negative consequences of legalizing casinos, including an increase in crime and corruption among public officials.
In his letter, Pol Col Tawee questioned whether the economic advantages of casino legalization would outweigh the adverse effects on the youth of the nation and urged the government to conduct further studies before moving forward, according to Mr. Sugarno.
He added that Pol Col Tawee highlighted the fact that gambling is disapproved of by other faiths, including Buddhism.
“The Justice Ministry believes that religious and cultural considerations should be taken into account, especially when selecting locations for these complexes,” he said.
Sorawong Thienthong, the secretary-general of Pheu Thai and Minister of Sports and Tourism, acknowledged on Monday that the Prachachat Party has voiced concerns regarding the casino-entertainment complex bill.
“Given the party’s support base in the three southern border provinces and the predominant Muslim membership, this is expected. However, we can engage in dialogue and find common ground,” Mr. Sorawong stated.
He also refuted claims that Thaksin had threatened to expel coalition parties that oppose the bill, calling such assertions false while acknowledging the challenge of managing public perception.
The government is facing significant criticism for attempting to expedite the discussion of the entertainment-casino complex bill in parliament without a thorough study to back it up.
Opposition to the bill is growing, with doctors, academics, and schools joining protests in advance of the House’s deliberation on Wednesday.
Jatuporn Prompan, leader of the People’s Unity Group, has also called on the public to participate in tomorrow’s protest against the bill’s first reading.
