Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has proposed a new firearms control law in the wake of a deadly school shooting that left at least eight dead. The shooting occurred on the outskirts of Bangkok and was carried out by a Thai teenager who fatally shot his grandparents before killing at least five people and himself at a school.

Gun Ownership in Thailand

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, with an estimated 10.3 million firearms in civilian possession. This equates to around 15 guns per 100 residents, according to a 2017 estimate by the Small Arms Survey. Of these, a little more than 6 million were registered firearms, with another 4 million comprising unregistered weapons.

The Prime Minister’s proposal would restrict the carrying of firearms by the public, allowing only government officials on duty to carry guns. The new law would aim to reduce the number of mass shootings in Thailand, which have regularly occurred in recent years, including incidents at schools, a major Bangkok mall, and a 2022 killing spree in the country’s northeast that killed 36 people, including 22 children.

Current Licensing Regime

Thailand’s current licensing regime lacks mental health screening for people applying to possess a gun and allows people as young as 20 to hold weapons. The regime also does not require periodic reassessments for license holders. Experts have called for stricter regulations, including a medical certificate assessing the mental health and psychological condition of gun owners, as well as a specified validity period for some gun licenses.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.