Thailand Casino Odds Lengthen With PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra Officially Removed
Posted on: September 1, 2025, 11:50h.
Last updated on: September 8, 2025, 07:53h.
- Paetongtarn Shinawatra is no longer the prime minister of Thailand
- Her removal greatly hurts the odds of casinos coming to Thailand
The odds of casino resorts coming to Thailand lengthened greatly last week with the permanent removal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister.
Last Friday, Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed Shinawatra from her premiership duties. The court upheld ethics violations, with a June 15 call to Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former leader, at the center of the crisis.
During the call, which was publicly leaked by her opponents, Shinawatra was heard criticizing her own military for initiating the conflict with Cambodia along the border, a fight that lasted five days and resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. The country’s highest court relieved Shinawatra of her duties in early July and gave her time to respond to the ethics complaint. After fielding her side of the story, the court opted to uphold her removal from power.
The Constitutional Court voted 6-3 in favor of removing Shinawatra. The majority said her remarks on the call “undermined the pride of the premiership and the nation” while prioritizing her own political interests. The decision is not open to appeal and is final.
Shinawatra is the fifth Thai prime minister to be forcibly removed from office in 17 years, with one being her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed through a military coup in September 2006. Her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was removed in 2014.
Casino Odds Lengthen
Paetongtarn, the youngest PM in Thailand’s history, had sought to diversify the Southeast Asia nation’s economy by introducing Las Vegas-style casino resorts. She pressured her controlling Pheu Thai Party to pass legislation to allow for slot machines and table games.
The party’s Entertainment Complex Bill proposed two casino resorts in Bangkok and one each in the cities of Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. The gaming measure was making progress before the Shinawatra telephone controversy.
The Bhumjaithai Party, which left the Pheu Thai coalition amid the scandal and by doing so hampered the prospects of the casino bill, has emerged as the front-runner to form Thailand’s next government. The party is pitching leader Anutin Charnvirakul, the former interior minister, to become the next prime minister.
Charnvirakul previously criticized Paetongtarn and the Pheu Thai for trying to force casinos on the Thai people. Numerous polls have found that a majority of the public is opposed to gambling, with many citing concerns about gambling addiction, something many families have seen with underground, illegal gambling outfits.
Reports have surfaced that Chinese President Xi Jinping has threatened Thailand with a travel or trade ban should the country legalize casinos. Macau, the only place in China where casinos are allowed, is the world’s richest gambling hub.
Several casino companies invested in Macau, including Sands, MGM, and Wynn, had expressed interest in a Thailand casino investment.
Parliament Decision
The next prime minister will be chosen by Thailand’s National Assembly. Only the House of Representatives, a 500-member body, votes on the PM. The 200-person nonpartisan Senate does not.
The Pheu Thai majority is no more, with the party and its supporters accounting for only 201 seats. The opposition, led by the People’s and Bhumjaithai parties, controls 291 seats. Eight seats are vacant.
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