Thailand’s New PM Shuts Door on Gambling as Economic Growth Strategy

Thailand’s political winds have shifted: with Anutin Charnvirakul ascending to Prime Minister, he has made clear that gambling will not be part of his economic toolkit. Anutin, long seen as a more conservative voice in Thailand’s politics, has rejected proposals that gambling—particularly casino legalization as part of “entertainment complex” bills—be used as a lever to boost tourism, attract investment, or shore up state revenues.

This stance marks a departure from previous plans under former PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose government had approved a draft Entertainment Complex Bill in early 2025. That plan would have allowed large-scale integrated resorts with casinos, malls, hotels, theme parks, and other amenities, under strict regulations including high entry fees for locals, proof of substantial bank deposits, and limits on how much of the complex space the casino portion could occupy. But that bill ran into strong resistance from conservative groups, some coalition partners, religious networks, and significant public concern over moral, social, and economic risks. 

Anutin’s opposition is informed by several considerations. He has questioned whether gambling legalization would really lead to widespread benefits for ordinary citizens, or whether it would exacerbate vulnerabilities—addiction, crime, and increased inequality. Also relevant is the concern about Thailand’s international standing and tourism: there have already been reports that proposals related to the Entertainment Complex and casino legalization have caused diplomatic unease (for example with China), and sharp declines in Chinese tourist arrivals have been linked in public debates to the gambling-legislation issue. 

Looking forward, Anutin’s position means that the Entertainment Complex Bill, if revived or revised, will likely be subject to more stringent safeguards, more public consultation, and possibly scaled-back gambling components. For stakeholders—hotels, property developers, investors, and tourism operators—this may mean recalibrating their expectations and plans. Meanwhile, political observers see Anutin’s stance as potentially stabilizing, given that gambling has been a contentious issue causing rifts in the coalition and friction with civil society. Whether this translates into policy that both spurs economic growth and maintains social safeguards will be one of his government’s key challenges.