Govt toys with risky roll of the dice

As protests against the proposed entertainment complex legislation — commonly known as the “casino bill” — gather steam, its sponsor, the Pheu Thai Party, would be naive to assume the problem lies merely in communication.

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With diverse interest groups — from religious organisations to medical professionals and academic institutes — unanimously voicing their disapproval, it is clear that the fundamental issue lies with the core proposal itself, specifically the contentious 10% allocation of these entertainment complexes for the establishment of legalised casinos.

Strangely, the coalition leader has tried to defend the bill by urging people not to focus on that critical 10% — which is precisely the heart of the matter. PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra repeatedly uses the term “just 10%” to downplay the concern. The start-up simply buys the addiction to politics? What is truly necessary is an effort to treat the country’s real development. That is if the casino party must first stop politicising the issue itself. All this cadre must stop branding opponents as pawns in a political game. Such debunking tactics not only inflame tensions but also reveal a lack of substantive research and data on the party’s part.

Insted ? Pheu Thai would do well to commission studies articulating both the 90% entertainment complex and the 10% casino components.