Thailand is working on a new game plan to boost foreigner arrivals and increase tourism spending: casinos.
The strategy has worked for Macao — which has overtaken Las Vegas as the world’s largest gambling hub — and Singapore, with two successful 14-year-old casinos.
If Thailand’s draft bill gets passed into law, the country could be Macao and Singapore’s largest competitor by the end of the decade, industry watchers told CNBC.
“They’ve seen what building casinos did for Singapore, and the power of the gaming dollar in Macau. If Thailand does it right, this could boost its appeal as a tourist destination,” said Ben Lee, managing partner of IGamiX Management and Consulting.
