Thailand’s rising body count reveals a nation unable to curb gun crime
The cremations of the victims of the Debsirin school shooting in the Thai province of Nonthaburi had barely begun when another body was added to the country’s rising toll from gun violence. On Monday morning, a former MP for Nonthaburi fired four rounds at a local official inside a car – then calmly strode away, the pistol tucked back into his belt. Police Colonel Thongchai Yenprasert was shot…
Thailand's rising body count underscores the nation's struggle to curb gun violence. Just as cremations were beginning for victims of the Debsirin school shooting, another fatality was added to the country's growing tally of gun-related deaths. A former MP from Nonthaburi province opened fire on a local official over a money dispute before calmly walking away with the pistol.
The 71-year-old victim became the 12th gun-related fatality in Nonthaburi alone, a city of just over 250,000 people. Over the past three weeks, gun violence claimed 20 lives nationwide, according to local media estimates. The shooting spree at Debsirin school resulted in nine fatalities, including the shooter who reportedly took his own life.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul vowed to tighten laws and enforce stricter gun control measures, including suspending the issuance of permits for private firearm possession. However, experts argue that the majority of gun crimes involve unlicensed weapons obtained through black market channels. Thailand, with over 10.3 million firearms in civilian hands, has the highest gun ownership rate in Southeast Asia, partly due to a militarized culture and its location as a smuggling route between conflict zones.
Gun control advocates urge stricter regulations, including periodic renewal of licenses and mandatory safe storage, to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands and reduce violent conflicts.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
