Government approves 1 million baht compensation for Nonthaburi school shooting fatalities

On 7 August 2026, Thailand's government approved a compensation package of 1 million baht per victim for those killed in the recent school shooting in Nonthaburi, drawing on existing criteria from four previous mass shooting cases classified as public disasters. The decision was made by Paradorn Prissananantakul, an attached minister to the Prime Minister's Office, who chaired a meeting of the Prime Minister's Office Disaster Victim Assistance Fund Committee.

At the time of the attack, seven people were killed, including three teachers, three students, and the gunman. Yupa Thaweewattanakitborworn, the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office, informed the committee that the fund had 254 million baht available to cover compensation. The committee applied the same criteria to the Nonthaburi shooting as it had to four previous mass casualty shootings, including the Terminal 21 Korat incident in Nakhon Ratchasima, the Nong Bua Lamphu childcare center massacre, the Siam Paragon shooting in Bangkok, and the Phatong Prathan Khiriwat School shooting in Songkhla.

Compensation rates approved by the committee included 1 million baht for fatalities, 700,000 baht for permanent disability, 200,000 baht for serious injuries, and 100,000 baht for minor injuries. The committee considered three key factors: the Disaster Victim Assistance Fund comprises public donations intended to aid disaster victims; the Nonthaburi shooting caused fatalities and injuries among members of the public at a school, making it a public disaster under the fund's regulations; and the existing regulations already provide additional assistance, such as funeral expenses and living assistance for families of deceased victims.

Following the meeting, Paradorn assured that payments would be made as quickly as possible, and the total amount needed would be finalized after confirming the number of injured victims, with an expected completion within days. Additionally, officials will explore potential further financial support from other government agencies.

The Ministry of Interior prohibits civilians from carrying firearms in public areas, except for authorized state officials, and Paradorn stated that enforcement of this regulation would be strengthened, proposing amendments to Thailand’s Firearms Act in his capacity as a member of parliament.