Thailand: House committee concludes casino feasibility study, set to recommend legalization

Thailand's House Committee on Casino Legalization has concluded its study, affirming the feasibility of regulation, and is poised to present its findings to parliament next week.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, who heads the special House committee, stated on Tuesday that the investigation had been finalized, yielding comprehensive insights into the matter, Bangkok Post reported.

Should the House endorse the study, it will be submitted to the cabinet for approval and subsequent implementation, he confirmed.

Sorawong Thienthong, secretary-general of the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party and vice-chairman of the House committee, disclosed that the panel anticipates completing its study by Thursday, with plans to propose it to the House in the forthcoming week. He reiterated that the study has been thorough.

"If this is realised, it could generate huge revenue for the country. What we emphasize is entertainment complexes. Casinos would be a small part of such complexes," Mr Sorawong was quoted as saying in the report.

According to Thienthong, operators seeking to enter the market would need to fulfill specified investment requirements. Licenses would be granted by the government, with tax collection and regulations governing the location of complexes, stipulating they must not be situated adjacent to Bangkok.