{
  "id": 1627144,
  "title": "Some gun dealers have switched businesses to survive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/some-gun-dealers-have-switched-businesses-to-survive",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T03:06:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Bangkok Post",
    "slug": "bangkok-post",
    "url": "https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3303655/some-gun-dealers-have-switched-businesses-to-survive"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gun shops in Bangkok's historic district have been forced to shift operations to baking, in response to a ban on importing firearms following a series of mass shootings. Owner Warintorn Boonyachai of Suchart and Friends Gun, Bakery, expressed hope for lifting the ban, but acknowledged that selling guns is less tiring than baking bread. The suspension of firearm permit issuance, proposed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has further exacerbated the situation, potentially driving some gun owners towards the black market. Thailand has around 10.3 million firearms, with nearly 6 million registered and 4 million unregistered. Industry worth about 2 billion baht. The government's proposed measures are criticized for not addressing crime at the right places, as they may force individuals to resort to illegal means.",
  "summary": "Loaves of sourdough bread now fill the display window of Suchart and Friends Gun, a firearms shop-turned-bakery in Bangkok's old quarter where pistols and rifles once lined the glass case.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}