Thai PM, who led the charge for casinos, removed for ethics breach
In a shocking turn of events on Wednesday (14 August), Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was removed from office and charged with ethical misconduct.
A Bangkok court ordered Srettha’s dismissal after he appointed a cabinet member who once spent time in prison. The appointee, Pichit Chuenban, was an aide to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In 2008, he was convicted of attempted bribery of Supreme Court officials. He served six months behind bars.
The court said Srettha was “well aware” that Pichit “seriously lacked moral integrity”. A judge slammed Srettha, saying the appointment showed he “has no honesty”.
Supporter of legal casinos
Appointed last August, Srettha made it his mission to boost Thailand’s flagging economy, which has yet to fully recover from Covid.
“Entertainment complexes” with hotels, dining and legal casinos were a cornerstone of his plan. Lawmakers considered issuing five to eight licences. Possible locations included the Eastern Economic Corridor, Phuket and, of course, the riverfront capital of Bangkok.
US gaming giants including Wynn Resorts, MGM and the Las Vegas Sands Corp expressed interest in Thailand. So did Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group and Malaysia’s Genting Berhad.
Analysts estimated legal gaming in the kingdom could generate up to 536.6bn baht (£11.8bn/€13.86bn/$15.15bn) per year. A house study said casinos would raise tourism revenue by about 2bn baht a year and boost tourist spend 52%.
“The show is over”
After the court ruling, Srettha addressed reporters, saying: “The show is over. I’ve done everything as honestly as possible the past year… I insist that I have never been the source of division and conflict.”
With Srettha’s ouster, Thailand must form a new government. The fate of entertainment complexes is now up in the air.