April 10, 2025
BANGKOK – Signals from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra were clear regarding the joint meeting of coalition party leaders, who all agreed to delay the consideration of the “Entertainment Complex Bill.”
Originally slated for its first reading in the House of Representatives on April 9, 2025—the final day of the current parliamentary session—the bill has now been postponed until at least July, when the new session begins.
While the Prime Minister stressed that the bill would not be withdrawn, she noted that the legislative agenda must first prioritize more pressing issues, such as earthquake relief measures and US import tax concerns.
However, insiders had already anticipated this strategic retreat. Reports emerged that Thaksin Shinawatra, the Pheu Thai Party’s influential patriarch, issued an ultimatum: any coalition party that refused to support the bill’s first reading could face expulsion from the coalition.
This revelation—rumored to have been leaked by members of the coalition—sparked speculation, particularly around the Bhumjaithai Party, whose stance on the bill has been under close watch.
Decoding Bhumjaithai’s Strategy
Although Deputy Prime Minister and Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul publicly affirmed that the bill aligns with government policy, signals from the party’s upper ranks suggest a more calculated approach.
Nevin Chidchob, the powerful figure behind the Bhumjaithai Party, made a subtle remark during his keynote speech on “The Development Strategy of Buriram Province in the New Era” on April 4, 2025.
He emphasized that empowering the people was a critical element in ensuring sustainable development in the local community. He indicated that his team had proposed the law, yet he expressed that it wasn’t as urgent as the “Entertainment Complex Bill.”
Nevin urged local administrators to push for the law, noting that the public’s support was crucial for success. He believed that no one would oppose this law because it directly empowered the people.
Observers have interpreted this as a sarcastic jab at the Entertainment Complex Bill—and a clear distancing of Bhumjaithai from it.
Adding fuel to the fire, Somsak Prisanananthakul, part of the influential Bhumjaithai “Big House” faction, went as far as calling on coalition parties to withdraw from government if Thaksin’s threat against dissenters was true.
Additionally, the “blue senators” group, led by Phisit Apiwatthanaphong, claimed that over 100 senators opposed the bill. They called on the government to conduct a referendum on the matter, warning that failure to do so might violate legal provisions.
“If Parliament votes to pass the bill, the senators will submit a petition to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Constitutional Court to examine its ethical implications,” Phisit said.
It is said that both PM and key Pheu Thai Party leaders had already received signals that some coalition parties planned to abstain from voting if the Bill was pushed forward for parliamentary deliberation.
This reportedly explains PM’s reaction when she walked away from the podium and turned to speak with Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, saying, “This is giving me a headache.”
The “To the Very End” Lesson
Beyond all else, one must not forget that the fast-growing opposition to the “casino” issue outside Parliament is being fueled by the same network—especially the groups operating behind the scenes of protest movements, which are believed to have ties to the “old power” networks within the conservative bloc from time to time.
Although, deep down, the Pheu Thai Party still believes that this wave of outside-Parliament protests will not mirror the events during Yingluck Shinawatra’s government, when the “Amnesty Bill” was pushed “to the very end,” ultimately leading to a political crisis and the eventual Coup d’etat.
Yet, at the same time, the party cannot ignore the lessons of the past—particularly how unrest was often exploited to create pretexts, accelerating political tension to a boiling point in hopes of shifting the balance of power.
As Wisut Chainarun, a Pheu Thai party MP and chairman of the government whip committee, once said regarding the chaos in Parliament over the proposal to postpone the Entertainment Complex Bill—interpreted by many as a political ploy in Parliament:
“Don’t make the public weary of politics. If they become too fed up, the military might return.”
This is in stark contrast to some coalition parties that are repositioning themselves as “blue-blood” royalist defenders, even revamping their logos to reflect deep conservative roots in hopes of becoming the dominant right-wing force.
For these parties, backing the controversial bill “to the very end” may prove too risky—potentially alienating their conservative base.
Eyes on two possible solutions for the “Entertainment Complex”
At the earliest, the draft bill could be considered in its first reading when Parliament reconvenes in three months. In the meantime, two possible solutions are being discussed:
First, holding a referendum, which aligns with the stance of the “blue Senators” group and the “New Breed Senators” as well as views from civil society groups.
Second, utilizing parliamentary mechanisms by proposing the establishment of an ad hoc committee to study the feasibility of entertainment complexes. Alternatively, a motion could be submitted to the Senate to assess the potential impacts of the bill.
Over the next three months, attention must be given to how these options develop—and equally to the political games that remain concealed beneath the surface, filled with negotiations and power plays still to come.