A network of parents and youth submitted a letter of protest today, addressed to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, against the government’s policies to legitimise the informal economy and legalise gambling, including the construction of a proposed multi-billion baht entertainment complex.
In the letter, the group, led by Vasinee Sonsaeb, said it doubts that such policies will promote tourism or bring new revenue into the country and will only benefit the investors.
As a mother herself, Vasinee said that the prime minister should take into consideration the prospect that legitimate gambling and casinos in the entertainment complex could encourage youth to become addicted to gambling.
Instead, the group suggests that the government should strictly enforce the law and crack down on widespread corruption in the government’s bureaucracy.
The group also proposes that the government scraps the entertainment complex project, reviews the policy to legalise gambling and amends the obsolete Gambling Act B.E. 2478 (AD1935).
It further proposes that the government promotes the public and private sectors in the development of human resources, youth in particular, and the protection of the welfare of children and youth.
