Will Thailand Make Gambling Legal?

On Monday it was announced by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that he is considering legalizing gambling in Thailand. He plans on following in the footsteps of Macau, Singapore and Malaysia, but did not give details about what types of gambling would be allowed. He did mention however that this move would mean that there would no longer for police to spend time raiding the numerous small gambling dens now in existence.

Realizing that nearly ever country around Thailand, including Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos now have legal gambling and the fact that numerous Thai’s gamble (I have seen numbers as high as 70%), is it wise for Thailand to legalize gambling?

There are the obvious positive factors such as increased tax revenues, increased hotel occupancy rates, increased tourism and job creation. These will certainly happen as they have in every location that has legalized gambling. Look at the growth of Macau and Las Vegas over the past several years. Macau had an economic growth rate in 2007 of 30% and has already surpassed Las Vegas in gaming revenues and since 2003 has seen tourism quadruple. Can you imagine the impact this type of tourism increase would have in Thailand.

Of course there are also the negatives factors. Casinos can be said to prey upon the poor and many fear that the working class Thai’s would be losing more money to the large casinos than they can possibly lose with the small operation type gambling that occurs now. Others worry that the same type of corruption that is commonplace in Thailand would serve to make sure the potential economic boom would be directed to a select group of individuals pockets rather than serving the public as it does in Las Vegas and Atlantic City here in the U.S. Still others are against gambling on moral issues and suggest that if gambling is legalized the Thai’s might as well legalize drugs and prostitution as well.

I think that legal gambling could be a good thing in Thailand IF it is structured properly and IF the revenues generated are directed towards public works - improving infrastructure, health and education within Thailand. I also think the gambling would need to be confined to certain areas and Thailand should try to entice the large casino operators to invest in Thailand. I certainly don’t want to see a one armed bandit in every little beer bar, guesthouse or train/bus station.

Since PM Samak Sundaravej hasn’t elaborated on what form the legalized gambling will take in Thailand we simply have to wait and see what’s next. In any case I’m sure it will be quite some time before we see the first casino’s opening in Thailand, if ever.

Is it wise for Thailand to legalize gambling?

Popularity: 25% [?]

Thailand Musing Weekly Round Up

I’m going to try something new on Thailand Musings. Well, new to my blog, but quite old in the blogosphere. It’s a weekly roundup. This week may not be as complete as I like because I am still getting used to taking notes as I go through my RSS feeds each day, but rest assured that as the weeks go on you’ll be able to get tons of great links this way to stuff you may have missed. So, here we go…

It’s None of My Business - This is a great post for those of you who are frustrated with the differences between Thailand and your home country. Should help to gives us all some perspective.

Buddha Mountain and Restaurant “Nakkerd Seaview” - I had no idea they were building the largest Buddha statue in the world on Phuket Island. Browse on over to Jamie’s Phuket to see some photos of the statue under construction.

Interview with a Thai Policeman (Part 1) - Ever wonder what it’s like to be a policeman in Thailand from their perspective? We’ve all heard the tales of corruption from Western perspectives, but here Stephen Cleary gives us an inside perspective on the trials of being a cop in Thailand.

Air pollution levels in Chiang Mai rising - I always thought that Chiang Mai was one of the cleaner areas of Thailand, but here I get disabused of that notion. Very eye opening.

Khao Khitchakut National Park, Chanthaburi - Photos and a first person story about a trip to one of the “unknown” Thailand attractions.

And that’s it for this week. I know it’s a short list, but I promise to do better in the future. Until then…sawasdee khrap!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Thaksin Returns to Thailand

I don't normally blog about political events in Thailand because I'm really not that interested in the day to day goings on. However today is a bit different as the deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has returned to Thailand after a 17 month long exile. [inline] [/inline] As you can see from the video Thaksin still has many many supporters in his native Thailand. He has said that the reason for his return is simply to clear his name of the allegations made and he will not be participating in Thai politics. Thaksin has said that Thailand is the only place he and his family can truly be happy and he wants to come back and live just like any normal Thai citizen. He also said that he will likely get involved as a philanthropist helping out in the areas of sports and education.

Popularity: 5% [?]

H5N1 Bird Flu Re-Emerges in Thailand

This is bad news for Thailand. Last time the bird flu was found there it had a significant impact on tourism to the country. Considering the current strength of the Thai baht which is already curbing tourism combined with the anti-foreign business climate brought on after last years coup, this could cause a definite drop in Thailand's GDP for 2008. Let's hope that this is an isolated case not only for Thailand's tourism, but also because of the very deadly nature of the H5N1 bird flu virus. Most of us know that avian flu is being watched very closely, but do we know why. The reason is that this particular virus has mutated in the past and was extremely deadly. During the period of 1918-1920 the virus mutated and caused the Spanish flu which was responsible for 50 million deaths worldwide. Those interested can learn more here Source: Reuters - 24 January 2008 The H5N1 bird flu virus has re-emerged in a northern Thai province for the first time since March last year, forcing the slaughter of 10,000 chickens, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Thursday. The outbreak occurred on a farm in Nakhon Sawan, 240 km (149 miles) north of Bangkok, where the owner reported 4,085 chickens had died earlier this month, senior Livestock Department official Nirundorn Aungtragoolsuk told Reuters. "The H5N1 virus was found on the farm and we have culled the rest of them," he said of the birds slaughtered in one of four closed chicken houses on the farm. The others house 45,000 chickens which had shown no signs of the deadly avian influenza virus, he said. The virus last reappeared in northern Thailand in March 2007, but there have been no new reports of human infections in the country, where the virus has killed 17 people since 2003. Of the 351 human cases recorded since H5N1 re-emerged in Asia in 2003 and spread to parts of Africa and the Middle East, 219 have died, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus does not currently spread easily between humans, but scientists fear it could mutate into a form that would trigger a global pandemic, killing millions of people.

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Thailand Coup is Over

It appears the military backed coup is finally over as the military leaders have stepped aside as previously promised now that elections have taken place. The Parliment has convened for the first time since the coup and it appears that a pro-Thaksin Prime Minister will be elected. Does this mean that we will see all of the changes made by the coup disintegrated and Thaksin will come back into power of some sort in Thailand? I think it is highly likely. Thaksin has a large degree of support, especially in the provinces of Thailand. Meanwhile the middle and upper class Thai's in Bangkok will very likely protest once more. It is difficult to see when stability will return to Thailand considering the current situation. One can hope that the return of the Thai Rak Thai party (under the guise of PPP) will also see the return of a more pro-business and foreigner friendly Thai government. BANGKOK: -- The military council which ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 putsch disbanded itself on Tuesday and promised there would be no more coups as a Thaksin-backed coalition prepared to take office. The Council for National Security (CNS), widely derided for presiding over an inept government, also called on politicians to stay out of military affairs, suggesting it feared vengeful Thaksin supporters in office. "Everybody in the CNS, especially the army commander-in-chief, insist there will be no more coups," CNS spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told reporters. "In a political transition into a full democracy, which is a sensitive period for all sides, the military should not be involved in politics and politicians should not interfere with the military," he said. "Therefore, we need a politically neutral person to be defence minister," Sunsern said a month after elections in which the openly pro-Thaksin People Power Party fell just short of an overall majority. That call followed newspaper reports that Samak Sundaravej, the firebrand PPP leader determined to become prime minister, would also become defence minister. But the military is in a weak position after the elections proved Thaksin's abiding popularity in the countryside where the majority of Thais live, despite CNS attempts to eradicate his influence. The PPP campaigned on Thaksin's populist platform and told people a vote for the party was a vote for Thaksin. The former prime minister was ousted months after street protests began against him in Bangkok and faces corruption charges when he returns from exile. Political analysts saw the results of the December 23 election as a vote against the coup and criticism of the military is becoming ever more trenchant. "The generals have proved unfit in their handling of post-coup Thailand," Chulalongkorn University political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak wrote in Tuesday's Bangkok Post. "Policy directions have been murky, leadership incompetent, overall administration inept. The generals have made themselves obsolete by botching their latest putsch," he said. The generals accused Thaksin of presiding over rampant corruption and of disrespect toward revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej -- charges he denies -- but an anti-graft panel they appointed has come up with only one case against him. They also failed to eradicate his Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party despite its court-ordered dissolution for electoral fraud and the banning of Thaksin and 110 senior party members from politics for five years. Thai Rak Thai members simply took over the almost defunct PPP, which is expected to take office at the head of a coalition government and occupy the most powerful ministries some time next month. --Reuters Jan 22, 2008

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