The Interior Ministry of Thailand has issued new guidelines for gun control measures across the country. Under the new gun control measures, the Thai government has prohibited importation of all types of firearms and guns.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, said that the government held a meeting to consider issuing guidelines for providing gun permits to the people. The police, the Customs Department, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and the Ministry of Public Health were part of the discussion.
Everything to know about gun control measures in Thailand
- The Thai government has instructed firearm registration officers to abstain from issuing gun permits for importing or trading all types of firearms.
- New applicants would not request gun permits from the authorities to import additional imitation firearms.
- The Customs Department of Thailand under the Ministry of Finance will inspect the importation of imitation firearms and BB guns that can be modified into functioning firearms or guns.
- Owners of all types of guns need to arrive at their local firearm registration offices for inspection and registration.
- The Sports Authority of Thailand is tasked with imposing age restrictions on professional shooters. People under the age of 20 cannot enter shooting ranges unless they take permission from the Sports Authority of Thailand.
- Provincial governors are instructed not to issue permits for carrying firearms and guns to people.
- The government officials who require firearms for security can carry only one firearm.
- Registration officers will not issue permits to people for importing firearms and ammunition for gun shops.
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Gun violence in Thailand
Gun violence has surged in Thailand in recent years. Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership and gun homicide in the Asian continent. The epidemic of gun violence has now killed two people.
According to estimates from gunpolicy.org, many people in Thailand use guns illegally. Out of 7.2 million privately owned guns, only 6 million are registered.
On Tuesday, the fatal shooting by a 14-year-old boy in a popular Bangkok mall killed two people and injured 5 others. The teenager carrying the gun shocked the entire nation. It was not known how the boy obtained the guns for shooting.
