The recent massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lam Phu province that resulted in 36 people being killed by a former policeman before he took his own life, has again shone a spotlight on gun violence in society.
Although an investigation is still underway, many of the facts are known. The killer is already confirmed to have had drug abuse issues.
Police investigators believe he was under particular stress that day due to a court case related to his abuse of narcotics.
He was dismissed from the Royal Thai Police (RTP) earlier in the year after being found in possession of an amphetamine pill.
What is more worrying about this crime is that it could be a "copycat killing". The perpetrator reportedly told his friends that he wanted to commit a crime with more casualties than the mass shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2020 that resulted in 30 people slain.
In both cases, the killers were current or former professionals who were familiar with firearms and eventually took their own lives.
Last week's tragedy speaks volumes about the lack of proper control of firearms ownership in the country. This week, the Royal Thai Police and the Interior Ministry have decided to step up gun control measures.
The agencies agreed that officers who exhibit overly aggressive behaviour must be stripped of their firearms. Retired officers prone to misusing their weapons will also lose their permits.
Furthermore, the agencies plan to require that those applying for gun ownership permits must first undergo a psychological evaluation.
This aims to prevent more unnecessary violence in the future. But while such moves are encouraging, they may not be enough and could even prove redundant.
This is partly because laws already exist to guard against some of this. For example, Section 13 of the Guns and Ammunition Act prohibits young people, as well as those with a criminal background or a record of psychological problems, from obtaining firearms.
Needless to say, gun abuse is a big issue. Data from the World Population Review indicates that Thailand (2,804 cases) ranks second only after the Philippines among Asean countries in terms of the number of shooting deaths. It ranks fifth in Asia after India, the Philippines, Iraq and Pakistan.
Thailand also has the highest gun ownership in Asean, with more than 10.3 million firearms. The civilian gun ownership rate is 15.10 per 100 persons. Such figures put the kingdom second in Asia after Pakistan.
According to gunpolicy.com, over 40% of the guns in Thailand -- or 4.1 million -- have been illegally acquired. And these are the ones used in over 77% of cases where armed violence is involved. Apart from being fairly easy to get hold of an illegal gun here, they are also cheap.
Gun laws and regulations stipulate high penalties for perpetrators, with jail terms ranging from one to 20 years, as well as fines ranging from 4,000 to 40,000 baht. Prices of BB guns or the so-called Thai pradit (self-made) guns range from 6,000-8,000 baht, making them much cheaper than registered guns, which sell for 15,000 to 30,000 baht.
Following last week's tragedy, the police have cracked down, acting on the orders of newly installed police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat. They rounded up 61 people and confiscated 145 guns. Now the authorities must ensure strong enforcement and tight surveillance to keep us safe.
