Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s former prime minister and father of the newly appointed premier, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has voiced support for legalizing casino resorts in Thailand. Speaking at a recent gathering focused on economic reforms, Thaksin emphasized the potential benefits of this policy for the country’s economy.
Two days before his speech, Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was chosen as Thailand’s new prime minister. Her appointment followed the removal of Srettha Thavisin by the Constitutional Court. Thavisin, who also backed the casino legalization policy, was dismissed for appointing a former lawyer with a criminal record to his cabinet.
Thaksin Shinawatra served as Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 until a military coup removed him from office in 2006. Last week, Thailand’s king granted him a pardon, reducing his sentence. He had been living in Dubai since 2008, after leaving Thailand. He returned to the country in August last year and was immediately taken into custody. The Supreme Court sentenced him to eight years in prison on charges of graft and abuse of power.
In the Thursday meeting, Bloomberg reported that Thaksin supported the idea of integrating casinos into large entertainment complexes. The government sees this as an opportunity to attract significant investment, with estimates of around THB100 billion (US$2.90 billion) for a facility in Bangkok and THB50 billion for similar projects in other provinces.
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