Recently, Pei Tongtan strongly countered the chairman of the Thai Proud Party, Anutin, during a media interview in the parliament, accusing him of "distorting the content of high-level communications between China and Thailand and deliberately shifting the responsibility for governance failure" by using the China topic to stir public opinion for his own political gain.
The incident stemmed from Anutin's recent post on social media, claiming that Chinese President Xi Jinping "expressed dissatisfaction with Thailand's gambling policy several times" during the meeting between Chinese and Thai leaders, attributing the decline in Chinese tourists to this, claiming it "severely damaged Thailand's tourism industry."
In response, Pei Tongtan sternly refuted: "China has never opposed our construction of entertainment complexes. President Xi Jinping only made rational suggestions on gambling governance, not denial or criticism." She emphasized that the Thai government had already explained the relevant policy framework to China, drawing on the experiences of Singapore and Macau to create a comprehensive development area integrating entertainment, convention, and tourism functions, "gambling is just a very small part."
She further questioned Anutin: "The 'opposition from China' you mentioned, in which official meeting minutes can it be found? Please do not fabricate 'what China said' as an excuse for your failures during your term."
Pei Tongtan also pointed out that the fundamental reason for the decrease in Chinese tourists is Thailand's long-standing security issues, frequent telecommunications fraud, and aging public facilities, which are precisely the "old problems" that Anutin failed to resolve during his tenure as Minister of the Interior.
She warned that the China-Thailand relationship should not be used as a tool for political strife: "Misleading the public with issues related to China will ultimately damage mutual trust between the two sides." She called on the public to view the gambling issue rationally and not be manipulated by politicians, "China-Thailand relations are not an election chip, nor should they become a political stage."
It is understood that the Thai government had previously proposed an "entertainment complex" policy, which may include the establishment of casinos, sparking controversy. Although the bill is currently on hold, the political struggle surrounding the gambling policy continues to heat up. Anutin has publicly stated that if the government does not permanently shelve the proposal, his party will refuse to support any related legislation. Analysts believe that the gambling issue may become a key focus in the next round of electoral battles in Thai politics.
