Thai Government Revises Casino Entry Rules, Drops 50-Million-Baht Requirement
National — Thailand’s government has reportedly revised its proposal for casino entry regulations, replacing the controversial 50-million-baht requirement with a three-year tax record assessment, according to government sources.
On March 3rd, at Government House, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat provided an update on the draft legislation concerning integrated entertainment complexes. He stated that after a review by the Office of the Council of State, the draft has now been forwarded to the Secretariat of the Cabinet for further processing.
Mr. Julapun explained that the draft will undergo necessary evaluations by relevant ministries before being presented to the Cabinet for approval. If endorsed, the legislation will then proceed to the House of Representatives for deliberation before the parliamentary session concludes on April 11th.
While confirming that the draft law remains fundamentally unchanged, Mr. Julapun noted that some modifications have been made, including stricter penalties as recommended by legal experts. Addressing concerns about the previous requirement mandating casino players to possess at least 50 million baht, he revealed that a Ministry of Finance review found that only 10,000 bank accounts in Thailand met this criterion. As a result, the Office of the Council of State has suggested replacing this requirement with a review of a player’s tax payments over the past three years.
This proposed adjustment aims to increase the number of eligible casino players, Mr. Julapun stated. However, the final decision remains with the House of Representatives. He also emphasized that Thai players will still need to pay a 5,000-baht entry fee, and casinos will be limited to occupying a maximum of 10% of the total area within an integrated entertainment complex.
TPN Media notes that it remains unclear how casino operators would verify three years of a player’s tax records or how door security staff would enforce this requirement effectively.
