Casino revenue will offset losses from US tariff rises - Phumtham

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai claimed today that the government’s entertainment complex project will generate additional revenue for Thailand, which could offset lost revenue from import tariff increases being imposed by the US.

He said that Thailand must take precautionary measures to ease the impacts of US tariffs and the entertainment complex project is one such measure, adding that even the Singaporean prime minister has warned his nation to prepare for the US trade war, even though the tariff imposed on goods from Singapore is just 10%, compared to Thailand’s 36%.

The deputy prime minister urged protest groups, who oppose the casino project, to use parliamentary channels to resolve their differences with the government, while accepting that it is their right to protest.

He claimed that the protest groups do not represent the Thai people as a whole.

Defending the casino, which the government claims will represent just 10% of the “activities” in the proposed entertainment complex, Phumtham said that there will be restrictions on people entering the casino, such as age limits and financial criteria to be met.

Meanwhile, a group of senior medical doctors from Chulalongkorn University issued a statement today, voicing their strong opposition to the casino project, claiming that it will promote gambling and corruption, plunge the country into deeper economic problems and lead to societal breakdown.

The group urged the government to withdraw the bill, which is due to be debated in parliament on April 9th.