In just 5 days, more than 72,000 Thai citizens have signed a petition expressing their firm opposition to casinos and online gambling. Dr. Warong, the leader of the Thai Pakdee Party, posted on his personal social media on February 9th, emphasizing that the level of societal aversion to this issue has exceeded expectations.
Dr. Warong stated that the rapid development of this signature campaign reflects the strong stance of the public and predicted that the number of signatories could likely exceed 100,000 in the coming days. He called on the government to seriously listen to the voice of the people and fully understand the true attitude of society towards the gambling industry.
Meanwhile, various sectors and different communities have also organized a variety of activities opposing casinos and online gambling, to further pressure the government. Dr. Warong emphasized that Thailand had once tried to open gambling venues, but they were eventually closed due to frequent social problems, and historical experience has proven that the harms brought by gambling far outweigh its economic benefits.
He further warned that if the government insists on promoting the legalization of casinos, it may lead to a series of social problems such as fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking, telecommunications fraud, debt crises, and suicides, ultimately resulting in more loss than gain. Especially if casinos are operated by the private sector, it will be difficult to control and shut down in the future, and the government must consider carefully to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Dr. Warong once again urged the government not to consider merely economic benefits, but to comprehensively assess the social impacts brought by casinos and respect public opinion, to ensure the long-term stability and development of the country.
