BANGKOK, Thailand – Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party and former Minister of the Interior, affirmed that he was telling the truth and not exaggerating in his recent Facebook post regarding the withdrawal of the Entertainment Complex Bill. He also pushed back against comments by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, clarifying that the Interior Ministry does not oversee the police.
Anutin said his recent post, which expressed support for the withdrawal of the draft law on comprehensive entertainment complexes (also known as the casino bill), was based on facts. He mentioned that Chinese President Xi Jinping had clearly expressed opposition to the idea, but emphasized that he was not trying to “expose” anyone or stir controversy — only to share the truth.
He reiterated that the stance of the Bhumjaithai Party is to call for the bill’s full withdrawal and not to bring it back for further consideration. While he supports the concept of entertainment zones, he said the party firmly opposes the inclusion of casinos.
Anutin clarified that his post did not reveal the detailed content of any diplomatic meetings, but merely intended to highlight that if the government truly plans to withdraw this policy, it must cancel it altogether. He affirmed that Bhumjaithai is prepared to vote in favor of permanently withdrawing the motion, to ensure a smooth and conclusive process.
Regarding Prime Minister Paetongtarn’s earlier remark that Chinese tourists are avoiding Thailand due to a lack of confidence in safety — and that this falls under the responsibility of the Interior Ministry — Anutin disagreed. He explained that the police do not report to the Ministry of Interior, and that during his tenure, all provincial governors were instructed to prioritize tourism facilitation, especially in terms of safety, convenience, and fairness for visitors.
Addressing speculation that Bhumjaithai’s previous willingness to vote for the bill was motivated by the desire to gain Cabinet seats, Anutin fired back, saying:
“If we had wanted Cabinet positions, we wouldn’t have withdrawn. We wanted to work as part of the government. But the agreements that were made were broken. If I had really wanted to be a minister, I could have just taken the post of Minister of Public Health again.”
He concluded that Bhumjaithai will continue to support government policies if they are truly beneficial to the country and the people — but not those that jeopardize national interests or risk economic ties with key partners like China. (TNA)
