Opposition blames tourism losses on casino policy
Anutin Charnvirakul, former interior minister and leader of the now opposition Bhumjaithai Party, blames a sharp decline in Chinese arrivals and losses in Thailand's tourism sector on the Pheu Thai-led government's dismissive attitude towards Chinese President Xi Jinping's repeated warnings against its casino legalisation policy.
Bhumjaithai had been pressured to leave the coalition government because it did not support the government's bill for the legalisation of entertainment complexes and casinos, Mr Anutin wrote on his Facebook post early Wednesday morning.
Although the government intended to withdraw the bill from the House on Wednesday, its entertainment-casino policy had already caused great damage to the country's tourism industry, he wrote.
According to Mr Anutin, during Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's meeting with Chinese President Xi in Beijing, China, in February 2025, the Chinese leader three times reiterated his request for Thailand to abandon the entertainment complex-casino policy; 'otherwise, the Chinese government would need to implement measures to significantly reduce Chinese travel, trade and investment with Thailand.'
Mr Anutin also claimed to have attended the meeting and recorded the details. Despite this, the government submitted the entertainment complex-casino bill as a top priority in the House on Wednesday.
"The gesture of the Thai government, which appeared to ignore and fail to value the opinion of the Chinese leader, and the rushed submission of the entertainment complex (casino) bill on top of the agenda in this House session, are certainly causes of the current sharp decline in Chinese visitors," the Bhumjaithai leader wrote.
"The severe consequence is the absence of about 90% of Chinese visitors, which has caused great damage to tourism-related operators, people in the service sector, hotels and the sales of Thai products, souvenirs, foods and drinks, retail shops and stalls. All of these are affected to an unprecedented degree."
The government's duty is to ensure security and generate income for Thai people, not to serve a small group of investors who are insignificant compared to the Thai population, Mr Auntin stated.
In the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Deputy Finance Minister and Pheu Thai Party deputy leader Julapun Amornvivat said the cabinet wanted to withdraw the bill so that new ministers and the public could study it further. He insisted that entertainment complexes could serve as man-made attractions to stimulate the economy.
Withdrawing the bill might also help reduce societal conflicts in Thailand, he added.
Mr Julapun noted that Bhumjaithai supported the bill when it was part of the coalition government.
Bhumjaithai MP Paradorn Prissananantakul told the House he wanted the government to permanently scrap the bill rather than merely withdraw it.
He claimed that Chinese authorities discourage Chinese citizens from investing in or visiting casinos abroad, which has contributed to the reduced Chinese arrivals in Thailand.
Mr Paradorn stated that Bhumjaithai opposed the entertainment complex bill, but the government rushed it into the House.
He questioned whether the decision to withdraw was related to Prime Minister Paetongtarn's leaked phone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, implying it was driven by political considerations.
Mr Paradorn said that the government had just lost 69 Bhumjaithai votes in the House and suggested the withdrawal was an attempt to secure enough votes for eventual passage.
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