The Thai government is advancing legislation to legalize casinos, proposing strict financial oversight mechanisms within integrated entertainment resorts to ensure gambling activities remain under control. According to the Bangkok Post, the proposal is currently under parliamentary review, with a focus on monitoring all financial transactions, restricting high-risk individuals from entering casinos, and setting minimum investment thresholds to prevent the infiltration of illicit funds.

Srettha Thavisin’s Deputy Secretary-General, Srettha Srikongwong, revealed that the new regulations will draw from the gambling policies of Singapore, Japan, and the UAE. Each approved integrated resort must involve an investment of no less than 100 billion baht (approximately USD 2.7 billion), and the casino area must not exceed 10% of the total construction area. Officials emphasized that the regulatory framework is designed to minimize the risk of money laundering.

The initiative is part of Thailand’s broader strategy to revitalize the economy and boost tourism, aiming to attract more foreign investment and increase international tourist spending. According to government projections, the development of integrated resorts could raise the number of international visitors to 120% of current levels and boost per capita tourist spending to over 22,000 baht.

Authorities have repeatedly stressed that the new regulatory regime will make money laundering “virtually impossible” within legalized casinos.

However, the bill still faces significant opposition from Buddhist groups, civil society organizations, and opposition lawmakers. Critics argue that legalizing casinos could lead to gambling addiction, household debt, and other serious social issues. Due to strong public resistance, the bill was postponed earlier this year.

Another point of contention is whether Thai citizens should be allowed to gamble. The current draft requires individuals to have a bank balance of at least 50 million baht to enter casinos, a threshold that has drawn widespread criticism. Officials from the Ministry of Finance have acknowledged that the requirement may be too high and indicated that it could be revised based on public feedback.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat stated that the government is proceeding with great caution. All provisions will be handled transparently, and legislation will only be passed after full debate within the current parliamentary term.