Thailand Casino Bill Odds Lengthen Following PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Suspension
Posted on: July 2, 2025, 10:52h.
Last updated on: July 2, 2025, 11:10h.
- Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended
- Shinawatra’s suspension comes after a call with a Cambodian official was leaked
- Shinawatra is supportive of legalizing casino resorts
Thailand’s effort to bring integrated resort casinos to the country lengthened considerably this week after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was temporarily relieved of her duties.
Thailand’s government is in turmoil following the public exposure of a private call made last month between Shinawatra and Hun Sen, the president of the Cambodian Senate and former prime minister. The conversation came after a border dispute that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
The June 15 call between Shinawatra and Sen involved several elements that garnered public backlash after the recording was leaked. During the exchange, the 38-year-old Thai prime minister calls the 72-year-old “uncle.” But much more damaging was Shinawatra criticizing her army and blaming a commander for the incident.
Criticizing the military in Thailand is a red line few government officials have ever crossed.
Shinawatra and her controlling Pheu Thai Party have been pushing to liberalize casino resorts in the country. The goal is to boost domestic and international tourism, a key component of the Thai economy that remains suppressed years after the COVID-19 pandemic.
PM Suspended
On Tuesday, Thailand’s Constitutional Court ordered the suspension of Shinawatra as prime minister as a government probe into the phone call persists.
In anticipation of the suspension, Shinawatra appointed herself just hours before the court decree as culture minister. The designation allows her to retain some element of power in the Cabinet amid the postponement.
The Constitutional Court has charged Shinawatra with dishonesty and breaching ethical standards. She has 15 days to respond to the allegations. If convicted, the charges warrant her dismissal from government.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit has been elevated to acting prime minister during the court’s review of Shinawatra.
Shinawatra is the fourth member of her family to hold the premiership. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, served from 2001 until he was ousted by the army in 2006. He went into a self-imposed exile for 15 years after being convicted of corruption.
The convictions against Shinawatra included insider stock trading, abuse of power, illegally ordering a state-run bank to issue a foreign loan, and malfeasance by a public official.
Casino Odds Lengthen
Shinawatra’s controversial phone call resulted in the Bhumjaithai Party dropping its alliance with the Pheu and the prime minister’s ruling government. The party’s withdrawal lessened support for the casino bill, which seeks to authorize two casinos in Bangkok and a single property each in Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.
Shinawatra claims her call with Sen was taken out of context and that she was only trying to diffuse the matter.
My intention was to help stabilize the situation. I never expected the conversation to be leaked,” Shinawatra told the AFP. “Moving forward, I will be more cautious with my negotiating approach.”
The call could be the end of the youngest-ever Thai prime minister’s political career. If she is removed from office and a new prime minister is appointed, analysts believe that person would likely take a more down-the-middle public policy approach and avoid controversial, publicly opposed issues like the gaming bill.
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