In brief
After a 14‑year‑old shooter killed eight people at a school outside Bangkok, the Thai government halted new gun permits and will not renew existing ones. Gun owners are required to store weapons at home or on licensed ranges, and authorities are urging unlicensed gun owners to hand them in. The move follows rising gun violence in Thailand, which has over 10 million civilian firearms, and includes proposals for school‑entry screening. Police suspect the boy taught himself to fire through online tutorials, and the incident has intensified debate over gun regulations.
In the early hours of last Friday, a 14‑year‑old boy at Debsirin Nonthaburi School outside Bangkok opened fire with a handgun owned by his grandfather, killing eight people, including his grandparents, several teachers and a 12‑year‑old pupil. The shooting ended in the boy committing suicide while police were on the scene.
The incident triggered an immediate response from Thailand’s government. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that no new gun permits would be issued and existing permits would not be renewed. Current gun owners will have to store firearms at home or on a licensed range, and the authorities are urging owners of an estimated four million unlicensed guns to surrender them.
It comes after the country’s violent‑crime statistics continued to rise, with civilian gun ownership estimated at roughly 10.3 million. The new policy also proposes school‑entrance screening measures to deter students from bringing weapons into educational institutions.
Police say the shooter may have taught himself how to use a gun through social‑media‑shared tutorials, and may have been influenced by online violent content and personal stressors. The tragedy has reignited debate over gun regulation across Thailand.
