Thailand has implemented a one-year halt on the issuance of new gun licenses, as announced by the interior ministry in response to a series of prominent shooting incidents. The immediate policy change aims to address concerns about firearms control in the country following notable cases of gun violence.
The decision was prompted by incidents like a shooting in a Bangkok shopping mall in October, where a 14-year-old boy killed three people, and a previous attack by an ex-policeman with a legally owned handgun and knife who murdered 36 people at a nursery a year earlier.
To enhance security and reduce crime rates, the interior ministry spokeswoman, Traisuree Taisaranakul, stated on her official Facebook page, “In order to improve security and decrease crime rates, we will temporarily ban the issuing of personal guns.”
Thailand currently holds one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with approximately 10 million firearms in circulation, translating to about one firearm for every seven Thai citizens, according to GunPolicy.org. Besides the high-profile incidents, the country frequently reports deadly shootings in its media.
In 2019, Thailand recorded almost 1,300 gun-related deaths, based on the latest available data, which stands in stark contrast to neighboring Vietnam’s approximately 130 gun deaths, despite having a population about 40 percent larger than Thailand’s.
