Thai PM vows stricter gun laws after teen shoots dead eight in school shooting
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to introduce tougher gun controls after a 14-year-old student shot dead his grandparents and five people at a school near Bangkok before killing himself.
The shooting happened Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, just northwest of Bangkok. The teenager had been a student at the school.
Police said the teenager first shot and killed his 73-year-old grandfather and 74-year-old grandmother at their home, then went to the school with a handgun and ammunition.
He shot dead five staff at the school before turning the gun on himself. The suspect and at least seven other people died. These said 23 people were injured, nine critically.
'The government will propose legislation to restrict the carrying of firearms in public,' said Anutin. He outlined a plan where only government officials on duty would be allowed to carry guns. He did not expand on how the proposed law would affect gun ownership or existing licences.
Under the new law, “only government officials on duty will be allowed to carry guns,” Anutin told reporters.
After a 2023 shooting at a Bangkok mall, the prime minister, a former interior minister, announced a series of firearm-control steps. The measures included a temporary ban on issuing new firearm licences, restrictions on imports, and a ban on people under the age of 20 attending shooting ranges.
Police said the weapon used in the attack Friday belonged to the teenager’s grandfather. These reported that the gun was legally registered.
Thailand is one of the Southeast Asian countries with the highest rates of civilian gun ownership. The Small Arms Survey estimated in 2017 that there were about 10.3 million firearms owned by civilians in the country, or about 15 guns for every 100 people. Well over 6 million were estimated to be registered, and some 4 million were unregistered.
In Thailand, the rules for owning and carrying guns vary in licensing requirements. But experts say the country’s regulatory system has holes, including no mandatory mental-health screening of firearm applicants and no periodic reassessment of licence holders.
The teen reportedly moved in with his grandparents following his parents’ divorce. Police and local media were probing his background and possible motives.
Authorities also searched electronic devices associated with the teen. Police say reports that investigators found videos related to school shootings should be considered preliminary until they are confirmed by police.
The shooting has reignited debate on access to firearms and enforcement in Thailand, which has seen calls for tighter gun controls after previous mass-casualty attacks.
Anutin expressed his sympathies to those affected. He said the tragedy should never have happened.
