Thailand is pushing hard to get gambling legislation approved quickly so that it can issue 5 casino licenses. Thailand which relies heavily on its tourism industry has suffered massive financial losses in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling Thai government believes that it can bring in billions of dollars, if it legalized land based gambling.
The push is to get licensed casinos up and running in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket or Ubon Ratchathani. A few other locations have also been suggested but these five spots seem to be the favorite as of now.
Too Late For Thailand To Legalize Land Based Casinos
While the Thai government is confident that legalizing land based casinos will bring in billions, the director of the Center for International Trade Studies at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce is not so confident.
Aat Pisanwanich says that Thailand has waited too long to legalized land based casinos and has lost out to neighbouring countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. Pisanwanich has questioned whether the government has carried out a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) SWOT analysis before pushing forward with gambling legislation.