After a wide ranging debate, the lower House has approved a study into the establishment of an “integrated entertainment complex”, which would include the first legalised casinos in the country.

Two hundred fifty-three MPs voted in support of the study. There were two abstentions and two MPs declined to cast their votes. Opposition MPs apparently chose to leave the chamber.

Move Forward MPs voiced support for an integrated entertainment complex to generate revenue for the state, revenues from which can be used for public benefit, but recommended that further study should be conducted on the long-term impacts, especially addiction to gambling, citing a local adage on its potential damage, which says “ten robberies do not equal one fire and ten fires are not equal to gambling.”

Move Forward MP Yodchai Peungporn suggested that the House committee conduct an additional and more comprehensive study, including restrictions on customers entering the complex and the possibility that the project may lead to an increase in illegal gambling dens catering to people would have no access to the casinos in the complex.

During the debate, Bhumjaithai MP Natchanon Srikorkua said that the project focuses on gambling as the only means of generating revenue, claiming that this would be harmful to society.

United Thai Nation MP Witthaya Kaewparadai suggested that half of the revenues from the project should be allocated to the improvement of elderly people’s lives in the country, such as a 5,000 baht monthly state benefit.

After the debate, Move Forward MP Chutiphong Pipoppinyo called for a head count in the chamber, to determine whether a quorum was present. This was seen by government MPs as a tactic to derail the study.

Paradorn Prissananantakul, of the Bhumjaithai party, accused opposition MPs of attempting to derail the House meeting and threatened that government MPs would resort to the same tactic during the opposition’s censure debate against the government next month.

Julapun Amornvivat, the chair of the House committee that conducted the study, told MPs that a more in-depth study would be needed if the government is to go ahead with the project.