The government has bowed to growing public pressure by stepping back from its push to pass a bill to establish integrated entertainment complexes with casinos. The bill will now be deprioritised when parliament reconvenes next week.
However, as the draft law is already on the parliamentary legislative agenda, its removal must be decided through a formal resolution, said Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri on Wednesday.
The Pheu Thai Party has informed Wisut Chainarun, a party-list MP and government chief whip, of its decision to defer debate on the casino-entertainment complex bill, Ms Manaporn said. Other draft laws, including bills on fostering a peaceful society and political amnesty, which are currently lower on the agenda, will be moved up. The casino bill, by contrast, will be placed at the bottom of the list.
Originally, the casino-entertainment complex bill was scheduled to be the first bill deliberated on July 9, followed by four versions of the peaceful society and political amnesty bills.
In its pitch to the public, Pheu Thai said a legalised casino would occupy only about 10% of the total area within each complex, which is primarily intended to stimulate the economy.
The new decision reflects the party's commitment to listening to public opinion, she said.
However, she dismissed suggestions that the move was in direct response to People's Party (PP) leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut's call for Pheu Thai to withdraw the bill.
"We don't need the opposition to tell us what to do. The government always listens to the people and takes their voices into account," she said.
Meanwhile, regarding the government's efforts to advance legislation supporting its policy to cap electric train fares in Bangkok at 20 baht per ride, Ms Manaporn said the process remains on track.
She said three measures -- the rail transport bill, the common ticketing system management bill, and the mass rapid transit authority of Thailand (MRTA) bill -- have been reviewed, leaving only the 20-baht flat fare electric train bill.
The House committee will expedite this to complete its review. The goal is to pass the set of bills as a legislative package, paving the way for the 20-baht fare policy. Ms Manaporn expects these laws to be enacted between September and October, as planned.
She expressed confidence that the bills would receive sufficient support from coalition MPs and pass the Senate without obstruction. Any senators who vote against these bills, she said, would be prioritising political interests over public welfare. She was responding to concerns that senators linked to the Bhumjaithai Party, which is no longer part of the coalition, might oppose the legislation.
