Weerawit Krueasombat, President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA), told the Bangkok Post in a special report that he believes it is a good idea to have an integrated complex that includes a casino in a major tourist city.
Such a complex should be developed on a full scale with all matters considered, including tax regulation, to draw in investors and increase money circulating in the country, he said.
Mr Weerawit said Phuket’s less-developed areas, such as near Phuket airport, as potential sites instead of a ‘downtown’ zone.
Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) President Thaneth Tantipiriyakij said he agreed with the entertainment complex idea, but questioned the necessity of a casino.
The PTA, he said, doubted if the casino would have a big impact on tourist numbers, especially repeat visitors. He asked whether the government had conducted a study on such a matter.
“We believe the charm of Phuket lies in its natural beauty, culture and many unique features that have attracted return tourists from around the world and generated economic growth,” Mr Thaneth said.
He said most renowned casino destinations in the world are built in areas where there are no natural or cultural attractions so they need to build something to draw people in. That was never the case with Phuket.
The PTA was also concerned about the shareholding structure and questioned the requirement for investors to have a registered capital of at least B10 billion. “How many Thai companies have this level of capital?” he asked, criticising the rule as being favourable to large companies.
“In the past four decades, Phuket’s tourism revenue has grown from tens of millions to hundreds of billions of baht. Many local businesses, especially in the hotel industry, have contributed to this growth by considering long-term impacts.
“If large foreign investors come in, the island’s future would be uncertain as investors might just take the profits and leave us the problems,” he said.
Mr Thaneth said what the locals need is development of infrastructure, such as more roads, better public transport, an adequate water supply, wastewater treatment and waste management.
He also said there are concerns about social impacts and potential harm to residents if a casino is set up.
Mr Weerawit of the PEBA agreed, suggesting that the government come up with clear measures to protect vulnerable locals from falling victim to gambling.
Mr Thaneth said that from January to July, Phuket earned B284 billion from 7.6 million visitors, with an average hotel booking rate of 82.57%.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimated the island’s revenue from the tourism sector this year at B500bn. “This clearly has nothing to do with casinos,” Mr Thaneth said.