Would you say yes or no to a proposal by the city of Pattaya to open a casino in this world-renowned tourist destination?

This crucial question was posed in a public opinion poll covering 60,000 residents of the city about two weeks ago.

The city wanted to gauge public sentiment on this sensitive issue - that is, how many would support or reject the bid.

In a related survey covering 3,000 Pattaya residents, the city asked how a casino should be managed if the city decided to open one.

Both polls have been completed, but the results are still being withheld.

While declining to unveil the information at this stage, city officials said they would shortly forward the results to the government.

The city's move followed several rounds of meetings organised a few months ago by a group of Chon Buri MPs and deputies in the Wang Nam Yen camp of Snoh Thienthong, the chief adviser of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The polls were conducted in conjunction with the Chon Buri Chamber of Commerce.

The Nation this week posed the same "Yes or No" question to a number of public figures in diverse occupations.

Phra Phayom Kalayano, the abbot of Wat Suan Kaew and leading social critic, said if Thais were not to succumb to more vices, the government must not permit the opening of casinos in the country.

"In Buddhism, gambling is one of the sins so opening casinos is obviously immoral. But if the government thinks it is really necessary to set up a casino, then people will have to be reminded of the negative consequences.

"The government will have to launch comprehensive public relations campaigns to inform the public of the dark side of gambling," he said.

Phra Phayom also said a pro-casino policy would apparently run counter to the establishment of the Culture Ministry as part of the recent bureaucratic restructuring.

Senator Wallop Tangkaranuwat said he vehemently opposed the government's plan to permit the opening of casinos in the Kingdom. He is unsure if the government would be able to get rid of all the illegal gambling places in the country.

"If it could not, then the government would just create more vice in our society," he said.

Moreover, he said, what measures would be taken by the government to address the negative impact on society as a result of opening casinos.

"For example, what would be the measures for screening people entering these places? If the government switched on the green light, how could it tell people that gambling is bad? It would lose the legitimacy to send such a moral message."

Wallop also asked how the government would address the issue of money laundering.

"I am not sure if the proponents' argument that hundreds of billions of baht have been flowing out the country every year as a result of Thais going to overseas casinos is valid.

"If such a claim is true, then the country would have gone bankrupt a long time ago," he said.

Wallop is also worried that the opening of casinos would lead to more systematic laundering of dirty money.

Kanchana Silapa-archa, the Chart Thai MP from Suphan Buri, said that government tax revenue should come from morally correct sources, not from gambling.

"Gambling is bad because most people lose money. It usually leads to social problems and it creates a bad habit for citizens. Therefore, the money from this kind of activity is [undesirable] and the government should not focus on it."

Kamol Sukosol Clapp, popular artist and president of Bakery Music Co, said there were two types of casinos. One is run by Mafia bosses, like those in Las Vegas in the older days. The other is managed professionally by corporations.

"If a casino opening in Thailand operates in the corporate style, there might be economic benefits for the country. Its management could also be controlled systematically," he said.

Suebsak Pansueb, a sepak takraw gold medallist at the recent 14th Asian Games in Busan, said that opening a casino was inappropriate because most people in Thailand are Buddhist. However, if such a place is designated for foreigners or tourists, then the country might benefit economically.

"If we open casinos mainly for Thais, there would definitely be social problems. In fact, gambling is bad and ruins everyone, regardless whether you are Thai or foreign," he said.

Abhisit Vejjajiva, deputy leader of the opposition Democrat party, said it was not the right time to open casinos in Thailand because it was still unclear how the state would benefit and how regulations could be enforced effectively.

"Usually, the pros are overrated while the cons are underestimated. The first thing the government should do is to increase efficiency in the country's justice system, such as in enforcing the anti-money laundering law.

"The government also has to detail its plan to address the social problems which will follow as a result of opening casinos in the country," said Abhisit.

Phiraphan Premputi, head of the Anti-Money Laundering Office, said that in a Buddhist society, gambling was a bad thing but in reality legalising gambling dens might be positive in helping to suppress crime, especially involving the laundering of illicit money.

"If we're going to permit the opening of casinos, we need laws that match international standards and need to ensure that the state can properly collect the taxes," he said.

Dr Jamlong Atikul, president of the Bank of Ayudhya, said he wanted more details of the proposal before he could make a proper judgement on the pros and cons.

A senior executive in the hotel industry, who declined to be named, said she was personally against gambling. However, in terms of economic policy she thinks it is worthwhile for the government to pursue a policy that will prevent money from flowing out to neighbouring countries such as Cambodia or Burma - where Thai gamblers usually go.

She said some countries which had legalised this type of business - such as Macau, Malaysia and the United States - had benefited from opening up casinos.

If the government decides to permit casinos, it needs to come up with measures to deal with the additional social problems that would result, she added.