Connect with us

Economy

Casino Gambling & Integrated Resorts in Thailand

Published

on

Integrated Resorts in Thailand

Thailand Moving Closer to Integrated Resorts

In early January of this year, a report was submitted and presented to the House of Representatives of Thailand. It contained surveys and various other research proposing casino-entertainment resorts to be built in Thailand.

As reported by thaicasinocenter.org, a special house committee and Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University ran a public opinion survey at the end of 2022, asking whether Thai people would approve of entertainment resorts being built in certain areas which will have casinos. In that particular survey, 80.7% of people approved the projects, and 36.4% answered that casinos must be a part of those resorts.

An Important Decision

At a three-hour meeting, the House of Representatives of Thailand discussed the proposals presented to them. While the idea of entertainment resorts was not an issue, the inclusion of casinos was the major point that had to be decided upon. Of the 319 representatives present, 310 voted in favor of having casinos as part of the entertainment complexes. It was seen as beneficial due to the economic value that the projects would bring.

The proposal was approved, but this does not mean that casino gambling will become legal overnight. The full report, as well as any extra comments made during the meeting, will be sent to the government for further evaluation. Pakornwut Udompipatsakul, a member of the House committee who was present for this event, said that this is a huge step for the country. However, full authorization and planning may still be two to three years away.

The Official Report

The official report proposed that if the proposal were approved, a new committee would be established to monitor and manage the issue, with the Prime Minister of Thailand having a leading role. In terms of funding, it was proposed that investments come from both public and private sources. With regard to location, the report highlighted Bangkok, the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), and places within a 100-kilometer radius of Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports as the first priority. As an alternative, the report then pointed to tourism provinces as the second choice, with a few smaller provinces as the third.

The legality of casinos and online gambling in the country is the main obstacle this proposal faces. To move forward with the project, the 1935 Gambling Act must be amended to allow for casino and online gambling in the areas where the projects are to be built. If the government approves the project, the Ministry of Interior will be responsible for creating and introducing the relevant bill.

Additional Suggestions

In the report, there were also suggestions that the entertainment complex would have a five-star hotel, amusement parks, indoor and outdoor sports stadiums, shopping malls, a zoo, and beauty parlors. In fact, no more than 5% of the resort would be occupied by casinos.

When casinos eventually open, they will welcome locals and foreigners older than 21 years. Additionally, for people to be allowed, they would need to present evidence that they have had at least THB 500,000 or $15,000 in their bank account in the previous six months. The official report also stated that anything won from the casinos would be taxed.

Opposing Views & Future Steps

The proposal for the meeting and approval was received with some opposition, mainly from Thanakorn Komkrit, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation. He expressed worry that the committee had not developed a strategy to combat illegal gambling or addressed the possibility of criminal groups using casinos and online gaming to launder money. These problems will undoubtedly be thoroughly investigated and debated before the idea is given to the government. The proposal will be discussed further in the next few years.

Final Thoughts

Before the Thai government can move forward with the ambitious project of constructing casino-entertainment resorts in Thailand, a thorough assessment and discussion of potential issues must be conducted. To stay informed, be sure to follow the latest updates at thaicasinocenter.org, which provides reliable coverage of the official report and public opinion. Ultimately, only time will tell whether Thailand will join its neighbors as a prime gambling destination in Asia.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Economy

Petrol Supply up 55.4% as Daily Consumption Reaches 52.1 million Litres

Published

on

sufficient supply petrol

By Adedapo Adesanya

The supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, increased by 55.4 per cent on a month-on-month basis to 71.5 million litres per day in November 2025 from 46 million litres per day in October.

This was contained in the November 2025 fact sheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Monday.

The data showed that the nation’s consumption also increased by 44.5 per cent or 37.4 million litres to 52.1 million litres per day in November 2025, against 28.9 million litres in October.

The significant increase in petrol supply last month was on account of the imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited into the Nigerian market from both the domestic and the international market.

Domestic refineries supplied in the period stood at 17.1 million litres per day, while the average daily consumption of PMS for the month was 52.9 million litres per day.

The NMDPRA noted that no production activities were recorded in all the state-owned refineries, which included Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, in the period, as the refineries remained shut down.

According to the report, the imports were aimed at building inventory and further guaranteeing supply during the peak demand period.

Other reasons for the increase, according to the NMDPRA, were due to “low supply recorded in September and October 2025, below the national demand threshold; the need for boosting national stock level to meet the peak demand period of end of year festivities, and twelve vessels programmed to discharge into October, which spilled into November.”

On gas, the average daily gas supply climbed to 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November 2025, from the 3.94 bscf/d average processing level recorded in October.

The Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 also maintained a stable processing output of 3.5 bscf/d in November 2025, but utilisation improved slightly to 73.7 per cent compared with 71.68 per cent in October.

The increase, according to the report, was driven by higher plant utilisation across processing hubs and steady export volumes from the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny.

“As of November 2025, Nigeria’s major gas processing facilities recorded improved output and utilisation levels, with the Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 processing 3.50 billion standard cubic feet per day at a utilisation rate of 73.70 per cent.

“Gbaran Ubie Gas Plant processed 1.250 bscf per day, operating at 71.21 per cent utilisation, while the MPNU Bonny River Terminal recorded a throughput of 0.690 bscf per day during the period. Processing activities at the Escravos Gas Plant stood at 0.680 bscf per day, representing a 62 per cent utilisation rate, whereas the Soku Gas Plant emerged as the top performer, processing 0.600 bscf per day at 96.84 per cent utilisation,” it stated.

Continue Reading

Economy

Secure Electronic Technology Suspends Share Reconstruction as Investors Pull Out

Published

on

Secure Electronic Technology

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The proposed share reconstruction of a local gaming firm, Secure Electronic Technology (SET), has been suspended.

The Lagos-based company decided to shelve the exercise after negotiations with potential investors crumbled like a house of cards.

Secure Electronic Technology was earlier in talks with some foreign investors interested in the organisation.

Plans were underway to restructure the shares of the company, which are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

However, things did not go as planned as the potential investors pulled out, leaving the board to consider others ways to move the firm forward.

Confirming this development, the company secretary, Ms Irene Attoe, in a statement, said the board would explore other means to keep the company running to deliver value to shareholders.

“This is to notify the NGX and the investing public that a meeting of the board of SET held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as scheduled, to consider the status of the proposed share reconstruction and recapitalisation as approved by the members at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 16, 2025.

“After due deliberations, the board wishes to announce that the proposed share reconstruction will not take place as anticipated due to the inability of the parties to reach a convergence on the best and mutually viable terms.

“Thus, following an impasse in the negotiations, and the investors’ withdrawal from the transaction, the board has, in the interest of all members, decided to accept these outcomes and move ahead in the overall interest of the business.

“The board is committed to driving the strategic objectives of SEC and to seeking viable opportunities for sustainable growth of the company,” the disclosure stated.

Business Post reports that the share price of SET crashed by 3.85 per cent on Tuesday on Customs Street on Tuesday to 75 Kobo. Its 52-week high remains N1.33 and its one-year low is 45 Kobo. Today, investors transacted 39,331,958 units.

Continue Reading

Economy

Clea to Streamline Cross-Border Payments for African Importers

Published

on

Clea Payment platform

By Adedapo Adesanya

Clea, a blockchain-powered platform that allows African importers to pay international suppliers in USD while settling locally, has officially launched.

During its pilot phase, Clea processed more than $4 million in cross-border transactions, demonstrating strong early demand from businesses navigating the complexities of global trade.

Clea addresses persistent challenges that African importers have long struggled with, including limited FX access, unpredictable exchange rates, high bank charges, fraudulent intermediaries, and payment delays that slow or halt shipments. The continent also faces a trade-finance gap estimated at over $120 billion annually, limiting importers’ ability to access the FX and financial infrastructure needed for timely international payments by offering fast, transparent, and direct USD settlements, completed without intermediaries or banking bottlenecks.

Founded by Mr Sheriff Adedokun, Mr Iyiola Osuagwu, and Mr Sidney Egwuatu, Clea was created from the team’s own experiences dealing with unreliable international payments. The platform currently serves Nigerian importers trading with suppliers in the United States, China, and the UAE, with plans to expand into additional trade corridors.

The platform will allow local payments in Naira with instant access to Dollars as well as instant, same-day, or next-day settlement options and transparent, traceable transactions that reduce fraud risk.

Speaking on the launch, Mr Adedokun said, “Importers face unnecessary stress when payments are delayed or rejected. Clea eliminates that uncertainty by offering reliable, secure, and traceable payments completed in the importer’s own name, strengthening supplier confidence from day one.”

Mr Osuagwu, co-founder & CTO, added, “Our goal is to make global trade feel as seamless as a local transfer. By connecting local currencies to global transactions through blockchain technology, we are removing long-standing barriers that have limited African importers for years.”

According to a statement shared with Business Post, Clea is already working with shipping operators who refer merchants to the platform and is also engaging trade associations and logistics networks in key import hubs. The company remains fully bootstrapped but is open to strategic investors aligned with its mission to build a trusted global payment network for African businesses.

Continue Reading

Trending