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Thailand taking steps towards legalising gambling

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Casinos could boost low-season numbers, Agoda CEO says

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Thailand targets record 40 mln visitors next year

By Chayut Setboonsarng

BANGKOK, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Casinos and related

attractions would significantly boost foreign arrivals to

Thailand, a top executive at the Asia-focused online travel

agency Agoda said on Wednesday, as the tourism-reliant country

moves closer to legalising gambling.

Thailand is planning to develop its first large scale

"entertainment complex" that will include a casino, in its

latest push to create jobs and draw in more tourists and

investment.

"It's the experience around gambling - think about Macau and

Vegas, usually it comes with crazy shows, food and amazing

hotels," Agoda chief executive, Omri Morgenshtern, told Reuters.

Amusement parks, museums and activities for children were

also important, he said, referring to Singapore's Marina Bay

Sands as an example.

Casinos also do not have seasonality and can boost visitor

numbers in the low season, Morgenshtern added.

Tourism is a crucial driver of Southeast Asia's

second-largest economy, which has seen 29% more foreign arrivals

in the first 10 months of this year compared to the same period

of 2023.

In Thailand, only some gambling is permitted, such as

state-controlled horse races and on an official lottery, but

underground activity is rife. Previous attempts to legalise

gambling have hit walls, with conservative and public opposition

to opening casinos.

The government has argued the absence of legal casinos in

Thailand means the country is missing out on state revenue and a

significant boost in tourism. Thailand's neighbours, Cambodia,

Singapore, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar have benefited from

large casino complexes.

In 2019, Thailand booked a record 39.9 million foreign

arrivals who generated 1.91 trillion baht ($55.98 billion) in

revenue

The government is targeting foreign arrivals of 40 million

next year and 3.4 trillion baht in tourism revenue, a target

Morgenshtern said Thailand could reach if global travel demand

remained healthy.

Agoda is based in Thailand and Singapore and is a unit of

the online travel giant, Bookings Holdings.

($1 = 34.1200 baht)