Gun prize giveaway prompts policy change
An event in which public officials on Koh Phangan received shotguns as draw prizes will be the last of its kind, a senior Interior Ministry official said on Thursday.
Gun raffle organizers on Koh Phangan have agreed to change their practices following widespread public criticism and a recent mass shooting in Nonthaburi. The Koh Phangan event, which had previously awarded shotguns as draw prizes to sub-district and village chiefs, will no longer give firearms as prizes. Instead, winners were given cash, which they could use to buy firearms if they chose.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also Interior Minister, ordered an end to all future gun raffles and a ban on issuing new gun permits. The controversial "welfare guns" program for public officials, which had supplied tens of thousands of cut-price firearms over 15 years, has been suspended to ensure equal treatment for officials and citizens.
The government is also working on a new gun-control law to be completed within 60 days, focusing on technology to track and trace weapon sales and registrations. Local officials expressed concern that the restrictions on carrying firearms could delay emergency response, but emphasized the importance of safety for officials working in areas with armed offenders.
Written by urgent.news from Bangkok Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
