Should Thailand increase gun regulations? According to a video report published by the Bangkok Post, some members of the Thai police force seem to think so. Incidents of gun-related violence are allegedly on the rise in Thailand, paving the way for future battles over Thai rights to bear arms. But what are the gun rights that are (at least at present) afforded to Thais and expats?
Gun law of Thailand is mandated by the Act Controlling Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation of Firearms. Under the Act, individuals must acquire gun licenses before obtaining a firearm; the only legal uses for a gun (licensed to the individual using it) are self defense, protection of property, sports, hunting, or collecting purposes.
According to guidelines given by gun shop owners, foreigners may obtain gun licenses in Thailand as long as they have a Thai work permit, a Thai house registration, and a Thai criminal record check. Tourists may not buy firearms
The members of the Thai police for interviewed by the Bangkok Post evidently feel that these guidelines are proving insufficient. The officers reported that firearms are increasingly used for illegal purposes “especially among drug dealers and teenagers”, and that gun violence is increasingly becoming tied to Thailand’s illegal drug trade.
While a Thai firearms collector interviewed for the piece literally guaranteed that the majority of legal gun owners were unlikely to use a firearm illegally, the police officers interviewed seem to find such reassurance lacking. “I think the firearms control regulations should be changed. It would be better to allow only state officers to carry guns”, an officer reported to the Bangkok Post “Citizens should not be allowed to carry guns, and state officers will take care of them”.
Perhaps members of Thai law enforcement feel that tightening gun regulations is an easy way to combat the rise of violent crime in the country. Yet, is strengthening regulations governing law-abiding Thai citizens an appropriate way to combat violent crime, when the players in this particular scene (drug dealers, gang members, drug traffickers, and thieves) are operating illegally and largely obtaining their weapons through illegal methods?
