Samak vows to legalize casinos

PRIME Minister Samak Sundaravej intends to legalize casinos during his four-year term, saying he plans to locate the gambling facilities in the main tourist provinces.

Returning from a recent two-day official trip to Cambodia, Samak noted the neighboring county’s burgeoning casino industry.

“Should I complete my four-year term, I believe casinos will be legalized  here for sure,” he said, adding that they should be initially located in Pattaya, Phuket, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai.

The prime minister clarified that his plan sought to legalize, not liberalize, casinos.

Targeted customers, he said, would be tourists and Thais aged over 20. Annual membership fees would be as high as Bt100,000 (US$3,165).

“The idea is not about misleading young people to gamble because they won’t be allowed to enter these places,” he said.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, meanwhile, warned that government should consider several other factors before initiating any move to legalize casinos, and not just the advantage they may bring in the way of stopping the outflow of casino money to other countries.

Government should also think about casinos’ possibly spawning crime and fuelling money laundering, he said.—TNA