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Read Full BioThe Thai opposition has blamed the under-fire government’s casino legalization bill for a drop in Chinese tourist numbers.
However, the suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says her political rival has misrepresented her conversation about gambling policy with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Paetongtarn met with Xi during a visit to Beijing in February this year.
Casino Bill: Chinese Tourism Takes a Hit
The Bangkok Post quoted Anutin Charnvirakul, the former Interior Minister and the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, as blaming the bill for a rapid drop in tourism income from China.
Anutin hit out at the governing coalition’s biggest party, Pheu Thai. He said Paetongtarn and her party took a “dismissive attitude” to Xi’s “repeated warnings” not to attempt to legalize casinos.
The bill, which the government has since ditched, proposed allowing foreign firms to build integrated casino-resort complexes in Thailand.
Anutin alleged that Xi asked Paetongtarn to abandon the bill three times. He said Xi warned that “otherwise, the Chinese government would need to implement measures to significantly reduce Chinese travel.” Xi also threatened to reduce trade and investment in Thailand, said Anutin.
Anutin added that Paetongtarn’s failure to heed Xi’s warning has resulted in a 90% drop in Chinese tourist arrivals.
But the media outlet Khaosod reported that Paetongtarn said Anutin was trying to “stir up trouble.” She said that Xi made several recommendations, which she listened to closely.
Paetongtarn explained: “[Xi] spoke about casinos out of concern and gave advice. We explained that Thailand’s policy was to create entertainment complexes like those in Singapore and Macau.”
These complexes would help generate income for Thailand and create new jobs, she reiterated.
Suspended PM Hits Back at Opposition Leader
Paetongtarn is currently serving as Thailand’s Culture Minister, after the Constitutional Court temporarily suspended her leadership of the government.
The court ruling came after a controversial leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and her Cambodian counterpart. During the call, Paetongtarn allegedly made disparaging remarks about a Thai military officer.
But Paetongtarn said a raft of other issues, including a rise in voice phishing call center-related crime, were the real reasons behind a drop in Chinese tourism.
She explained: “Not long after Anutin left his position, he forgot the reason why Chinese tourists don’t come to Thailand. It’s because of safety issues. That is the responsibility of the Interior Minister, the position he held at that time.”
Gambling is illegal in Mainland China. However, gambling operations are permitted in Macau and Hong Kong, which have separate legal and economic systems.
Hong Kong’s government is currently mulling a proposal to legalize betting on professional basketball league games.
Per official figures, Thailand welcomed around 11.1 million Chinese tourists in 2019. This accounted for almost a third of total tourist arrivals.
This figure dropped in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, the government launched a set of new campaigns designed to attract Chinese tourists.
Some forecasters predict that only 5 million Chinese tourists will have visited Thailand by the end of 2025, down from 6.7 million in 2024.
Bhumjaithai dropped out of the government coalition earlier this year. Anutin claimed that the casino bill had helped drive a wedge between the party and Pheu Thai.
