The Thai government has pledged to tighten gun controls and crack down on illegal firearms after two deadly shootings near Bangkok in less than a week renewed pressure on authorities to curb gun violence.
The country has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia despite its fairly restrictive gun laws. The two recent shootings, both in Nonthaburi province northwest of the capital Bangkok, have intensified calls for tougher enforcement and tighter controls on firearms.
A student opened fire at his high school and family home on Friday, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 20 before apparently taking his own life, according to police. Three days later, a former lawmaker was arrested after a shooting at a government office that killed one person and injured another.
Government spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana said Wednesday that the government is working to strengthen gun regulations and crack down on illegal firearms, as well as raising awareness on the responsibilities of and limits on gun ownership.
The ultimate goal is "to find ways to remove guns from people’s daily lives as much as possible and make Thai society safer", she said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered an urgent review of gun regulations, including a suspension of new permits to purchase firearms and a review of existing permits, according to a statement from the Government House.
He also instructed the Interior Ministry to propose amendments to Thailand's gun control laws within 60 days. The changes are expected to bolster the collection of firearms data, tighten controls on the gun trade and increase penalties for offenders.
Penalties for unlawful possession of firearms in Thailand include prison terms from 1 to 10 years and fines of up to 20,000 baht (NZ$1030). While the licensing laws are strict, critics say there are weaknesses in enforcement.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia, second only to Pakistan and far surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Data collected in 2017 by the groups Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org found that Thai civilians owned about 15 guns per 100 people, compared with less than one per 100 people in neighbouring Malaysia.
Thailand had 3.49 deaths by firearms per 100,000 people, according to 2023 statistics published by World Population Review. That puts it well behind parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, but relatively high in Asia. Only the Philippines is higher in Southeast Asia.
While mass shootings are still rare in Thailand, the country has seen an uptick in high-profile attacks in recent years.
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