More than half of the respondents to an Assumption University survey disapprove of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's plan to build casinos in Thailand.
The university polled 2,726 people in 18 provinces nationwide and found 56.4 percent of respondents opposed to the idea. 31.9 percent support the idea, and the rest have no opinion.
Prime Minister Sundrajev seeks to raise revenue for Thailand by building a casino in Phuket, Pattaya, Kohn Kaen, Hat Yai and Chian Mai. Foreigners will be able to enter for free but Thai citizens would be required to pay a $3,000 entrance fee, which would go to charity.
Casinos have been proposed in the past, but private organizations have opposed them on the grounds that they are against Buddha's teachings. Gambling is illegal in Thailand but many citizens go to border casinos in Cambodia and Myanmar.