Govt holds off on casino bill

The government has decided to postpone the casino-entertainment complex bill until the next parliamentary session following strong opposition from various sectors, saying there are more pressing issues.

- MONGKOL BANGPRAPA AEKARACH SATTABURUTH

Addressing a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the bill, which is initially slated for a vote in the House of Representatives today, can wait for now.

She said the government partners agreed that there are other, more pressing issues to focus on, such as the recovery efforts after the recent earthquake and the US import tariffs, which have been a concern for the public.

The bill was initially expected to be put to a vote today, but the government's attempt to fast-track it has been met with pushback.

Critics have raised concerns about the lack of a comprehensive study and warned that the government risks violating ethics rules if it doesn't drop its push for the casino-entertainment complex bill.

However, Ms Paetongtarn stressed that the government has not withdrawn the bill. She said it will continue gathering public input and clearly explaining and communicating the project's intent.