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Gunman Arrested After Shooting at Thai Government Office Amid Renewed Gun Control Debate
BANGKOK – Authorities apprehended a former lawmaker who opened fire at a local government office on the outskirts of Bangkok on Monday, injuring two people. The incident occurred just days after a tragic school shooting in the same province that reignited calls for stricter gun control measures in Thailand.
Major General Dejrapee Kongdee, the police commander of Nonthaburi province, confirmed that the suspect targeted a senior provincial official and his driver. Both victims were wounded and have been hospitalized for treatment.
The shooting comes in the wake of a deadly rampage carried out by a 14-year-old student last Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, resulting in nine fatalities-including the gunman-and more than 20 injuries. It marked the deadliest mass shooting in Thailand in nearly four years.
As students across Thailand returned to classrooms on Monday, security measures were noticeably heightened. At Debsirin School in Bangkok, metal detectors and additional checks were introduced to reassure parents and safeguard students. Withan Promsintusak, the school director, emphasized the shock felt by the community, stating, “We never imagined that a school, which should be the safest place, is where something like this would happen.”
Parents, like 54-year-old grandmother Thidarat Songrat, supported the new screening procedures, acknowledging the difficulty schools face in detecting potentially dangerous items without such measures.
In response to the recent violence, Thailand’s Education Ministry announced plans to develop comprehensive school safety protocols over the next three months. These will include mental health screenings, emergency response drills, anti-bullying initiatives, and enhanced detection of weapons and other prohibited items.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul underscored his commitment to tighter gun regulations, ordering increased enforcement against public firearm possession. Police checkpoints are being established as part of a broader crackdown aimed at controlling the possession, carrying, and use of firearms. Anutin stressed, “No one has the right to carry a firearm, especially in a public place,” dismissing self-defense claims as insufficient justification.
Thailand is estimated to have about 10.3 million firearms in civilian hands-approximately 15 guns per 100 residents-making it the country with the highest gun ownership rate in Southeast Asia, according to a 2017 Small Arms Survey. Current licensing laws have been criticized for lacking mental health evaluations, permitting gun ownership from age 20, and not requiring regular reassessments of license holders.
The recent events have intensified the national dialogue on gun control and public safety, prompting authorities to consider significant reforms aimed at preventing future tragedies.