BANGKOK, Thailand – Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, speaking at a Dinner Talk titled “Vision for Thailand,” organized by Nation TV at Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon Mall on August 22, encouraged the government to engage private investors in pouring billions of baht into an Entertainment Complex to compete with neighboring countries. He suggested reclaiming land in the Bang Khun Thian and Pak Nam areas to create a new city exclusively served by trains and electric vehicles (EVs) to prevent flooding in Bangkok. Thaksin also emphasized the need for a 20-baht flat rate for electric trains, a campaign promise that must be delivered.
During his speech, Thaksin stressed the importance of household and business debt restructuring, advising the government to coordinate closely with the Bank of Thailand to ensure fiscal and monetary policies align while respecting the bank’s independence. He also highlighted the need for economic stimulation through a “Digital Wallet” program, which aims to drive growth through blockchain technology.
On the topic of the Entertainment Complex, Thaksin suggested that while it would include attractions like amusement parks and concert halls, the casino portion would make up less than 10% of the space, following the model used in other countries. He emphasized that the investment required in Bangkok alone would start at 100 billion baht to compete with other countries successfully. Thaksin expressed that these complexes could help address the lack of large concert venues and other entertainment infrastructure in Thailand.
In addition to the Entertainment Complex, Thaksin proposed reclaiming land from the sea in the Bang Khun Thian and Pak Nam areas to expand Bangkok and create a flood-protected, green city with a train and EV network. This, he said, is crucial as sea levels continue to rise, threatening Bangkok with future floods.
Thaksin also touched on high-speed rail projects linking Nong Khai to Bangkok and Bangkok to Korat, highlighting the opportunity to connect Thailand to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. He expressed the desire to see Thailand reconnect with the global community through these infrastructure projects.
Regarding the 20-baht flat rate for electric trains, Thaksin stated that this must be realized, even if it requires the government to reclaim private rail services and manage them to keep ticket prices affordable.
Thaksin also called for Thailand to become a production hub for right-hand drive electric vehicles (EVs), urging companies like BYD and GWM to consider using Thailand as a central manufacturing base. He discussed the importance of maintaining the ecosystem for the automotive industry and ensuring that components for EVs are produced domestically.
Lastly, Thaksin addressed maritime overlapping zones, suggesting a 50-50 resource-sharing agreement similar to the one with Malaysia, stressing the urgency of capitalizing on oil and gas resources before the global shift to cleaner energy sources renders them obsolete. He also proposed that Thailand should develop its financial center by studying successful models like Dubai and Singapore and adopting regulations to attract international banks to Thailand for foreign transactions.
Throughout his talk, Thaksin underscored the importance of boosting investment in various sectors, advocating for tax reforms to make Thailand more attractive for investors and pledging that any tax rebates would be processed quickly using modern technologies to ease the burden on lower-income individuals.
