In a bid to boost tourism and a sluggish economy, Thailand is mulling the legalisation of casinos. A draft bill, that was approved on Monday, is the first step in bringing gambling clubs to the country.

Some forms of gambling, such as betting on boxing and horse racing, are allowed in Thailand. However, casinos remain illegal.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra told reporters following the cabinet meeting that the bill would also help attract more investments and solve issues of illegal gambling

“It will benefit society as a whole in the future,” Paetongtarn said. “This is part of the government’s policy to support sustainable tourism, or man-made destinations, which was addressed in Parliament.”

She said the Finance Ministry, which sponsored the bill, would later provide more details about the plans, which are being promoted as “entertainment complexes.”

Thailand casinos could provide a welcome economic boost

The current government, which took office in September, has pledged to make Thailand’s economic woes their top agenda.

The draft of the law says a casino would be allowed to operate within a complex that also houses other businesses such as a hotel, convention hall, mall or theme park.

Those younger than 20 years old will not be able to access the casinos. Plans are to allow foreigners access for free but Thai citizens must pay a 5,000 baht (€140) entrance fee, according to the draft.

The bill will be submitted to the Office of the Council State for review and then to Parliament to be discussed and voted on by members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“Isn’t it time for Thailand to acknowledge that there are gambling places, both legal and illegal, in the country and also the neighbouring countries?” said government spokesperson Jirayu Hoangsub. “This project aims to generate revenue for the country’s tourism sector.”

Tourism is the main driver of the Thai economy and has always been the focus of the different administrations to improve the economy.

Ryanair is demanding that passengers be stopped from drinking too much before boarding flights.

The budget airline believes it would help with the growing problem of disruptive behaviour onboard its flights.

“It is time that EU authorities take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports,” the Irish airline said in a statement.

“We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty-free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe.”

The demand comes as Ryanair is suing a passenger for €15,000 after their behaviour caused a flight to be diverted in April 2024.

The budget airline alleges that this passenger’s “inexcusable behaviour” on a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote was so disruptive that it forced the aircraft to divert to Porto, Portugal for safety – where they had to pay for crew members and over 160 other passengers to stay overnight.

Alcohol is already limited on flights

Ryanair pointed out that it and other airlines already limit alcohol sales in-flight – but said that passengers can still consume excess alcohol at airports before boarding, particularly during flight delays, without similar restrictions.

Aviation agencies have long expressed concern with disruptive, in-flight incidents – particularly those that result in violence against others on board, verbal abuse, harassment or other health hazards like smoking.

What is the financial cost of diverting a plane?

Ryanair has released details of the costs incurred after a disruptive passenger caused a flight to be diverted in April 2024.

More than 160 passengers and six crew were forced to stay overnight at Porto airport before flying onwards to Lanzarote on the following day.

The airline also had to provide an additional aircraft and crew to operate the delayed return flight from Lanzarote to Dublin.

The highest cost of €7,000 was to provide overnight accommodation and meals to passengers and crew in addition to €2,500 airport landing and handling fees, €1,800 in replacement crew costs €2,500 in Portuguese legal fees, €800 in excess fuel and €750 in lost in-flight sales.

Disruptive behaviour on flights is increasing

Although still rare, reports of unruly passengers on planes have recently been on the rise.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency notes that, while the agency could not provide specifics, “both the number and severity of incidents” have increased in Europe since 2020.

Worldwide, the International Air Transport Association found that there was one disruptive incident for every 480 flights in 2023, based on data from more 24,500 reports and 50 operators worldwide. That’s up from one every 568 in 2022.

How many of those incidents involved alcohol was not immediately known. But, among efforts aimed at preventing in-flight disruptive behavior overall, the IATA and other aviation groups have previously underlined the importance of serving alcohol responsibly, not allowing travelers who are too intoxicated to board and participating in additional safety initiatives, like ‘One Too Many’ in the UK.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration reported that it received 2,102 reports of unruly passenger incidents last year, resulting in $7.5 million (€7.3 million) in fines levied. That incident count is up 1 per cent from 2023, but still far below a 2021 peak of 5,973.

Lawmakers in Greece are debating tough new rules for holiday rentals in a bid to crackdown on overtourism.

Under the proposed changes renovated warehouses, underground spaces and former industrial properties will be removed from rental websites like Airbnb.

“Basements will no longer be allowed for use. Rental spaces must serve as primary residential use areas, with natural light, ventilation and air conditioning,” Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni told state-run television ahead of the debate.

“We are introducing minimum operational and safety standards because this is a tourism product,” she said. “Our goal is the long-term, sustainable, and high-quality development of Greek tourism, not just breaking records every year.”

The draft legislation coincides with a one-year ban in Athens on new short-term rental licences in popular tourist areas like Kolonaki, Koukaki and Exarchia, with violations punishable with a fine of €20,000.

Balancing Greece’s tourism benefits with housing for locals

Vacation rentals have helped expand Greece’s vital tourism industry – directly accounting for 13 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2023 – but also made life more expensive because of higher rents during the cost of living crisis.

The government says it wants to balance tourism benefits with housing accessibility and is offering tax incentives for property owners to shift away from short-term leasing.

Greece expected tourism revenue to reach a record €22 billion in 2024 thanks to a projected 35 million tourist arrivals, according to official estimates.

The number of rooms available in holiday rentals was roughly equivalent to those in hotels nationwide in 2023, but nearly double in central Athens, according to a study by a national hoteliers association. The body wants a crackdown on properties booked using websites like Airbnb.

Airbnbs in Athens: Heated debate in the Greek parliament

On the opening day of debate, several opposition lawmakers accused the centre-right government of disregarding the social costs and the strain on resources caused by overtourism and called for more comprehensive rental restrictions.

“You are allowing the concentration of short-term rentals in areas popular with tourists. That is drastically transforming neighbourhoods and displacing permanent residents,” left-wing lawmaker Kalliopi Vetta told parliament.

“The expansion of tourism is going unchecked,” she said. “This focus on profit alone is happening at the expense of the environment and society.”

The draft legislation, which also introduces new safety and operational requirements for holiday rentals, is due to be voted on later this month.