IT'S TIME for Phuket to spin the wheel, roll the dice, and bet everything on the ace up its sleeve.
It's time for the island to back the introduction of a casino.
Many people instantly turn their noses up at the concept of gambling as a source of government funding.
But how realistic is that? Phuket desperately needs infrastructure and advantages right now.
Before accepting the concept of a casino with Phuket as the big-time winner, reflect on a few pertinent facts.
Macau, once a sad little group of islands off Hong Kong, has been reborn in record time as the biggest gambling centre in the world, surpassing even Las Vegas in a few short years of serious operation.
The former colony's discount air carrier, Viva Macau, is already reaching out for customers in Australia and also to other Asia-Pacific sources, competing with Phuket for tourists.
Bear in mind, too, that as the sleeping giant of China wakes, hundreds of millions of Chinese will be stirring and joining the international travel whirl.
As a nation of inveterate gamblers, will they come to Phuket to lie on the beaches?
Or will many millions of them settle for some serious fun closer to home, in Macau?
There are many interesting questions to ponder when it comes to the prospect of a casino for the island.
These days, unlike 10 years ago (or even two years ago) the answers are far more compelling.
It's definitely time for Phuket to spin the wheel, roll the dice, and bet everything on the ace up its sleeve.
It's time for Phuket to back a certain winner.
There is no longer even one single outstanding argument against introduction of a casino.
The case FOR is overwhelming. And the sooner local authorities start pushing for national government intervention and action, the better.
Let's start with the perfect site: Phuket is in a position to develop, with private capital, hundreds of rai of public land at the north of the island.
The time is right to commit to development of a world-class sporting complex of the kind that hasn't yet been built in South-East Asia.
South-East Asia's largest aquarium is said to be on the way. Let's look at giving sport the same kind of status and impact.
The sports complex can have unrivalled facilities for training athletes in all kinds of disciplines, with a huge public watersport park, provision for a meeting centre for up to 10,000 people, an auditorium for performances by stars of international stature, as well as an art gallery and a cultural centre.
All this becomes possible with a casino. People here bemoan the lack of facilities for live music, the lack of a real night life at the right price.
Most places with casinos have great facilities, and audiences can watch world-class shows of all kinds at comfortable prices.
People who don't gamble get to use and enjoy all the entertainment facilities that the gamblers happily subsidize.
Jazz festivals, rock bands, art showings of the best from the West and the rest, alternative movies, ballet . . . all this becomes more possible with a casino.
Tourist industry officials are constantly looking for ways of attracting visitors in the low ''green'' season.
A casino would effective wipe out or at least reduce that major downturn, giving Phuket a year-long attractiveness.
Gambling takes place indoors, so there is no need to worry whether it's raining, or even whether it's day or night.
Gamblers often do nothing else for days on end, so there is no fear of increased damage to the coral reefs because of a sudden rise in the number of tourists.
A casino is environmentally-sound - and an all-year asset. It simply makes sense.
The natural attractions of Phuket and the prospects of catching a top-line, world-class performer or two at the same time would bring many non-gambling tourists flocking for the entertainment alone.
Another very important argument: A tax on the casino winnings - and let's face it, no casino ever loses - would overcome all the financial problems of the provincial government quite quickly.
Remember, the local government only derives an income based on the number of Thais registered as living here. That's about 320,000 now.
Yet at some times of the year, especially December to March, up to twice that number of Thais are living and working on the island.
And there are obviously times when vast numbers of tourists visit, too.
While Phuket may actually be home (however briefly) in some months to as many as a million people, the expenditure on infrastructure is designed for just a fraction of that number.
What's the simple answer? Yes, you guessed it. A casino. More than enough money to improve all services would flow from that.
The fact is, billions of baht get spent overseas already in casinos and on other forms of gambling by Thais who would prefer to gamble at a casino here, but cannot - at least, not legally. So neighboring countries benefit.
Billions more gets blown away on different forms of illegal gambling within Phuket and Thailand.
A properly-run casino would keep inside Thailand much more of this fortune that is being frittered away.
Why? Simply because Thais would prefer a place where they can gamble amid comfortable surroundings.
A properly-run casino would not be a solution to the problem of illegal gambling because it would be aimed at attracting new money, from the foreign visitors only.
There would be no problems raising the cash. Billions of dollars would rain down on Phuket from the moment the government gave the go-ahead.
Everybody knows what happened when America's native Indian reserves were permitted to open casinos - one of the poorest groups in the US became wealthy, with thousands of jobs and regular incomes associated with the casino-led turnaround.
Other provinces have long argued that they deserve to have a casino more than Phuket. That argument doesn't hold any more.
So many other casinos have sprung up in other countries that it's a case of having a destination that has many attributes to compete.
Phuket has many attributes.
Foreigners won't come to a casino stuck in the middle of an Isaarn province, and it's mostly foreign money that the casino needs to attract.
OK, you ask. So what's the negative side? That's a major new point to the casino debate . . . because these days, there is next to no downside.
Look at Singapore. Singapore has two casinos due to open next year.
The locals will be protected from losing their money because, if they want to enter a casino, they will have to pay $S100 first. THat's a big gamble.
The same kind of high price would keep most Phuket people safe from losing their money.
Only Thais and non-Thais with a passport would qualify to enter, and the Thais would have to pay an entry fee.
Not many will take that chance.
There were objections on religious grounds to casinos operating in Singapore, but those arguments were fought and lost.
Socio-economic problems, once associated with gambling, have largely disappeared with new technology and good managment.
Electronic cards can now be used to make sure that people who are prone to become addicted do not gamble away their money and steal so they can gamble the money of others.
In a modern casino, everything each gambler does can be recorded.
The one form of gambling that should be banned are poker machines, also known as slot machines.
Poker machines are harmful and have damaged every community in which they have been introduced. So keep them out.
But casinos? There are no arguments that stand up any more.
It's time Phuket took a big, safe, bet. Let's open a casino on the island, and soon.
Hate the idea? Tell us why. Sign up at Phuketwan and send a comment for publication
It's time for the island to back the introduction of a casino.
Many people instantly turn their noses up at the concept of gambling as a source of government funding.
But how realistic is that? Phuket desperately needs infrastructure and advantages right now.
Before accepting the concept of a casino with Phuket as the big-time winner, reflect on a few pertinent facts.
Macau, once a sad little group of islands off Hong Kong, has been reborn in record time as the biggest gambling centre in the world, surpassing even Las Vegas in a few short years of serious operation.
The former colony's discount air carrier, Viva Macau, is already reaching out for customers in Australia and also to other Asia-Pacific sources, competing with Phuket for tourists.
Bear in mind, too, that as the sleeping giant of China wakes, hundreds of millions of Chinese will be stirring and joining the international travel whirl.
As a nation of inveterate gamblers, will they come to Phuket to lie on the beaches?
Or will many millions of them settle for some serious fun closer to home, in Macau?
There are many interesting questions to ponder when it comes to the prospect of a casino for the island.
These days, unlike 10 years ago (or even two years ago) the answers are far more compelling.
It's definitely time for Phuket to spin the wheel, roll the dice, and bet everything on the ace up its sleeve.
It's time for Phuket to back a certain winner.
There is no longer even one single outstanding argument against introduction of a casino.
The case FOR is overwhelming. And the sooner local authorities start pushing for national government intervention and action, the better.
Let's start with the perfect site: Phuket is in a position to develop, with private capital, hundreds of rai of public land at the north of the island.
The time is right to commit to development of a world-class sporting complex of the kind that hasn't yet been built in South-East Asia.
South-East Asia's largest aquarium is said to be on the way. Let's look at giving sport the same kind of status and impact.
The sports complex can have unrivalled facilities for training athletes in all kinds of disciplines, with a huge public watersport park, provision for a meeting centre for up to 10,000 people, an auditorium for performances by stars of international stature, as well as an art gallery and a cultural centre.
All this becomes possible with a casino. People here bemoan the lack of facilities for live music, the lack of a real night life at the right price.
Most places with casinos have great facilities, and audiences can watch world-class shows of all kinds at comfortable prices.
People who don't gamble get to use and enjoy all the entertainment facilities that the gamblers happily subsidize.
Jazz festivals, rock bands, art showings of the best from the West and the rest, alternative movies, ballet . . . all this becomes more possible with a casino.
Tourist industry officials are constantly looking for ways of attracting visitors in the low ''green'' season.
A casino would effective wipe out or at least reduce that major downturn, giving Phuket a year-long attractiveness.
Gambling takes place indoors, so there is no need to worry whether it's raining, or even whether it's day or night.
Gamblers often do nothing else for days on end, so there is no fear of increased damage to the coral reefs because of a sudden rise in the number of tourists.
A casino is environmentally-sound - and an all-year asset. It simply makes sense.
The natural attractions of Phuket and the prospects of catching a top-line, world-class performer or two at the same time would bring many non-gambling tourists flocking for the entertainment alone.
Another very important argument: A tax on the casino winnings - and let's face it, no casino ever loses - would overcome all the financial problems of the provincial government quite quickly.
Remember, the local government only derives an income based on the number of Thais registered as living here. That's about 320,000 now.
Yet at some times of the year, especially December to March, up to twice that number of Thais are living and working on the island.
And there are obviously times when vast numbers of tourists visit, too.
While Phuket may actually be home (however briefly) in some months to as many as a million people, the expenditure on infrastructure is designed for just a fraction of that number.
What's the simple answer? Yes, you guessed it. A casino. More than enough money to improve all services would flow from that.
The fact is, billions of baht get spent overseas already in casinos and on other forms of gambling by Thais who would prefer to gamble at a casino here, but cannot - at least, not legally. So neighboring countries benefit.
Billions more gets blown away on different forms of illegal gambling within Phuket and Thailand.
A properly-run casino would keep inside Thailand much more of this fortune that is being frittered away.
Why? Simply because Thais would prefer a place where they can gamble amid comfortable surroundings.
A properly-run casino would not be a solution to the problem of illegal gambling because it would be aimed at attracting new money, from the foreign visitors only.
There would be no problems raising the cash. Billions of dollars would rain down on Phuket from the moment the government gave the go-ahead.
Everybody knows what happened when America's native Indian reserves were permitted to open casinos - one of the poorest groups in the US became wealthy, with thousands of jobs and regular incomes associated with the casino-led turnaround.
Other provinces have long argued that they deserve to have a casino more than Phuket. That argument doesn't hold any more.
So many other casinos have sprung up in other countries that it's a case of having a destination that has many attributes to compete.
Phuket has many attributes.
Foreigners won't come to a casino stuck in the middle of an Isaarn province, and it's mostly foreign money that the casino needs to attract.
OK, you ask. So what's the negative side? That's a major new point to the casino debate . . . because these days, there is next to no downside.
Look at Singapore. Singapore has two casinos due to open next year.
The locals will be protected from losing their money because, if they want to enter a casino, they will have to pay $S100 first. THat's a big gamble.
The same kind of high price would keep most Phuket people safe from losing their money.
Only Thais and non-Thais with a passport would qualify to enter, and the Thais would have to pay an entry fee.
Not many will take that chance.
There were objections on religious grounds to casinos operating in Singapore, but those arguments were fought and lost.
Socio-economic problems, once associated with gambling, have largely disappeared with new technology and good managment.
Electronic cards can now be used to make sure that people who are prone to become addicted do not gamble away their money and steal so they can gamble the money of others.
In a modern casino, everything each gambler does can be recorded.
The one form of gambling that should be banned are poker machines, also known as slot machines.
Poker machines are harmful and have damaged every community in which they have been introduced. So keep them out.
But casinos? There are no arguments that stand up any more.
It's time Phuket took a big, safe, bet. Let's open a casino on the island, and soon.
Hate the idea? Tell us why. Sign up at Phuketwan and send a comment for publication
