News Forum - Gun laws in Thailand to be discussed by House committee

[Thaiger]

An upcoming meeting of the House Committee on Police Affairs will address gun control measures in the wake of the daycare centre massacre just days ago. The vice chairman of the committee who serves as the deputy secretary-general of the Democrat Party announced plans to consider several actions to allow more responsible gun ownership in Thailand. One idea on the table is to make licenses for gun owners in Thailand valid for only two or three years. That way owners would have to re-qualify and re-register for their licenses. Another point of discussion is steps to make legal access to […]

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[Graham]

Yep, it will be discussed and mulled, committees will be formed and in the end nothing will change, how many times do atrocities like this have to happen before someone grows a set and actually does something about it not just sit and talk about it.

[gazmo16]

Hate to say it but the guns are already out there and no amount of talking and licensing  is going to get them handed back in . 

As with  cannabis  once it's out there  it's too late to  try and put controls on these things, people do what they want. 

[Skip]

10 hours ago, gazmo16 said:

Hate to say it but the guns are already out there and no amount of talking and licensing  is going to get them handed back in . 

As with  cannabis  once it's out there  it's too late to  try and put controls on these things, people do what they want. 

So what you are saying is that it is the people who create the problem... not the gun... or the cannabis... 

Seems that the solution is to build more interpersonal relationships and community rather than try to control that which is not controllable... 555

[Tim_Melb]

11 hours ago, Graham said:

Yep, it will be discussed and mulled, committees will be formed and in the end nothing will change, how many times do atrocities like this have to happen before someone grows a set and actually does something about it not just sit and talk about it.

I agree, the only way to get something done in this situation is to act quickly and Thailand normally doesn't act quickly on anything. If they want to achieve something they need to announce a government gun buy back like Australia did after the Port Arthur incident years ago and get people to hand back their guns while the current emotional response is having an effect. They then need to make the licensing changes and restrictions on ownership as quickly as possible. 

Australia and New Zealand are examples that it can be done but you must act fast while the public are sympathetic to the idea and peer group pressure are at the maximum level. 

[Tim_Melb]

10 hours ago, gazmo16 said:

Hate to say it but the guns are already out there and no amount of talking and licensing  is going to get them handed back in . 

As with  cannabis  once it's out there  it's too late to  try and put controls on these things, people do what they want. 

Rubbish, Australia is an example that it can be done if you act quickly after an event like this tragedy. As for cannabis, it was legal and a large cash crop in Thailand before it was outlawed in the 1970's. If the government imposes controls the Police will be quite happy to make arrests and prosecutions on law breakers when it comes to cannabis. The only reason they are not doing it right now is they don't have laws under which they can do it. 

[Fanta]

25 minutes ago, Tim_Melb said:

Australia and New Zealand are examples that it can be done but you must act fast while the public are sympathetic to the idea and peer group pressure are at the maximum level.

That is a proven and effective gun control method and response to gun violence in countries with an effective police force. It simply won’t work in Thailand. 

[RichardR]

Wow, it only took a shooting in a school. If only we had the technology to geneticly enhance members of parliament to forsee consequences beforehand. What an effective world it would be. An hopefully this time the planning is actually executed (like they did with making zebra crossings more safe an imposing harsher punishment for traffic violations and not wearing a helmet.

Or will it be standard reaction.. Wai and smile and don't give a sh*t

[gazmo16]

1 hour ago, Tim_Melb said:

Rubbish, Australia is an example that it can be done if you act quickly after an event like this tragedy. As for cannabis, it was legal and a large cash crop in Thailand before it was outlawed in the 1970's. If the government imposes controls the Police will be quite happy to make arrests and prosecutions on law breakers when it comes to cannabis. The only reason they are not doing it right now is they don't have laws under which they can do it. 

Dream on about police being able to contain firearms in Thailand. Most Police are happy to take a back hander and ignore the issue. If you live outside the cities herein Thailand you can see firsthand the problem of unlicensed firearms. Next you will suggest they could do it in the USA and get people to hand their firearms in.

As for cannabis it's not a product for the masses it's a profit for the few and a vote winner for the health minister desperate to become PM one day. 

[gazmo16]

in excess of 10 million firearms already in circulation in Thailand. How do you honestly think you will get people to register unlicensed firearms or hand them in. 

The sale of cannabis is a separate issue and was introduced through the back door (medical use only at 0.02 limit). It's aimed at the tourist market and political maneuvering and not to help local Thais. 

Yabba - 40 baht a tablet

cannabis 400 baht a bag

what's more popular and affordable to the average thais. I know which is awash in my village and it isn't designer weed. 

[Ramanathan.P]

My late grandma always used to say that "Once the porridge is cold it is old and will be discarded" The same will happen to such talks 6 months down the road. As it happens always in management...

[Mazz11]

1 hour ago, Fanta said:

That is a proven and effective gun control method and response to gun violence in countries with an effective police force. It simply won’t work in Thailand. 

This is the main crux of the problem. The culture within the police force that they only enforce the laws when it suits them and if it is beneficial to ignore criminal activity that is what they will do.

I don't claim to know the answer to this problem but it could start with looking at who should have a job in law enforcement at the recruiting stage. The evil man who committed the atrocity earlier in the week should never have been a police officer to begin with. He was a known drug user before he became a police officer, It's not rocket science. If you are known for illegal behaviour prior to applying for a role in law enforcement you do not get the job.

Then begin paying them a decent wage and sack anyone found to be engaging in corrupt behaviour.

If the captain is found to be corrupt, sack him and move the next guy up. If he begins to engage in corruption, sack him and move the next guy up, rinse and repeat until they all see that there is no future in the force if you are found to be corrupt.

And for the love of god, take their guns off them as they are now regarded as criminals and have forfeited the right of gun ownership.

Do the same in the armed forces, then maybe competent people may eventually find themselves in a position to make intelligent and rational decisions e.g. allow a democratic society to function.

I know this is over simplifying the problem as corruption is endemic within all areas of power in Thailand (and many other parts of the world) but a start has to be made somewhere.  

[Mazz11]

30 minutes ago, gazmo16 said:

in excess of 10 million firearms already in circulation in Thailand. How do you honestly think you will get people to register unlicensed firearms or hand them in. 

Buy them back and increase the penalty for owning an unlicensed firearm as was done in Australia.

Double edged sword. 

We will give you money for it but if you keep it and we catch you, we will take twice as much money from you as well as the gun.

[longwood50]

What is really being discussed is the elimination of firearms not regulation.  Now how has that worked out in Mexico with 33,000 homicides a year. 

 

MEXICO HAS 1 GUN STORE ON MILITARY BASE IN MEXICO CITY AND IT TAKES MONTHS TO LEGALLY OBTAIN A FIREARM.

Consider it is already illegal to possess many drugs in Thailand such as Fentanyl, Heroin, Meth, Coccaine etc.  How is that working out keeping them out of the country? 

 

https://www.npr.org/2009/06/24/105848207/at-mexicos-lone-gun-shop-army-oversees-sales

[Viggen840]

3 hours ago, Mazz11 said:

This is the main crux of the problem. The culture within the police force that they only enforce the laws when it suits them and if it is beneficial to ignore criminal activity that is what they will do.

All well and good, but I firmly believe that they need to go back further. As a start, there are people driving vehicles that should not even be allowed to WALK on a roadway. The blasé attitude toward road traffic regulations - by both cars and bikes - is ridiculous. Until you have a viable education system that addresses the basics of law compliance, and effective policing to back it up, it is no good coming in at a higher level to try and nip a sudden 'designer' problem in the bud.

[LanSlacker]

One problem why just former police have guns is because they have to buy their own guns and uniform so they don't need give them back when they and working. I have police friends here in Thailand who tell me this. In most of west countrys you can't keep the gun when you end the work.

[BillO]

And how many of these gun murders are actually committed by licensed gun owners? Every one of these murders I see every night lately on tv are committed by those owning guns illegally. And those incidents seem to be rising. Chicago has some of the toughest licensing laws in the US but one of the highest gun murder rates in the world. Same with New Orleans which is even worse. More laws don’t stop people who want guns and who want to kill someone. America has proven it over and over and honestly American politicians aren’t interested in or serious about stopping murders as opposed to unarming the population.  Armed security at schools? Good guys with guns stopping bad guys with guns? Yeah that works as it just did yesterday in an attempted school assault stopped by armed security. But is it getting to be that big of a problem here like in the US? Haven’t seen that yet.  On top of everything else Thailand has  a nationwide alcohol and drug addiction problem among young men, as well as cops and who are happy to take a bribe and look the other way. So no easy solution to a tough problem. But the problem doesn’t necessarily lie just in the availability of guns. That’s a simplistic and ignorant approach to a very complex societal problem. 
 

Edited October 9, 2022 by BillO
To elaborate

[Guest1]

15 minutes ago, BillO said:

And how many of these gun murders are actually committed by licensed gun owners?

Or by licensed guns, at least?

If I am not confusing something, but wasn't the "indian/canadian ganster", shot in Rawai, Phuket, killed with licensed guns?

Belonging to people, who seemed to be influental enough, that this made just once the news? And got silenced after that?

[Viggen8408]

6 hours ago, Mazz11 said:

Buy them back and increase the penalty for owning an unlicensed firearm as was done in Australia.

Double edged sword. 

We will give you money for it but if you keep it and we catch you, we will take twice as much money from you as well as the gun.

Yeah, that worked well as a knee-jerk reaction in Australia. As a conspiracy theorist, I still believe this was the thin end of the wedge for population control. All it has done is stuff around honest gun owners who now jump through hoops - willingly - to keep a sporting gun but now subject to unwarranted police audit, while 5he druggies and bike gangs still get theirs illegally and seemingly with impunity.

[ChrisS]

Doesn't really matter what gun laws they introduce if the police do not enforce them. I believe by law you must only have 2 people maximum on a motorbike in Thailand and both must be wearing helmets but guess what the police only enforce that when they are short of cash and want to pocket a few fines.

[Viggen840]

56 minutes ago, ChrisS said:

Doesn't really matter what gun laws they introduce if the police do not enforce them. I believe by law you must only have 2 people maximum on a motorbike in Thailand and both must be wearing helmets but guess what the police only enforce that when they are short of cash and want to pocket a few fines.

And don't forget the blatant use of mobile phones while operating vehicles. I can see it, why can't the police? Oh, right! They don't visibly patrol (unless it is time for pocket money)

[23RD]

You'll find a common practice Worldwide when it comes to grabbing legally held firearms after mass shooting events. 

If you look closely at the Organisations, People and money behind these illegal gun grabs you'll find their the same left wing lunatics who want to defund Law Enforcement.

And the same People who believe violent criminals should walk the Streets where defenceless law abiding People are trying to live their life's. 

[Tim_Melb]

18 hours ago, gazmo16 said:

Next you will suggest they could do it in the USA and get people to hand their firearms in.

Fortunately in all places outside the United States people do not hold the same psychotic obsession with guns. For normal people, after a tragedy like the current situation in Thailand, have a great appetite for getting firearms out of the community. If the government puts in place an amnesty for illegal guns and a buy back scheme people will bring in there guns happily. In fact in rural areas it will be dramatically successful. Poorer people in rural areas will be more than happy to take their old gun that is not being used to the local police station and hand it in for 1000 baht compensation when times are tough like they are now. People with higher quality firearms will gladly take advantage of getting better subsidised prices from dealers to sell them. The only issue is timing the government needs to act quickly while that appetite is there or it is nowhere near as effective. As I said before Australia and New Zealand are both examples of this happening. There were no threats no police going searching for guns people handed them in in thousands and millions. The United States is the only place in the world where people have a psychotic love affair with their guns and quite frankly the rest of the world looks on at it with disbelief and disgust. 

[Cabra]

They might as well be discussing the weather, and how to change that... I doubt anything meaningful will come of it. Personally, I would love to see all private guns destroyed and possession made severally punishable (sans "on duty" police and military "in uniform"). But that will never happen. Thailand does have an advantage it that it's a kingdom ruled by a military junta, and it they decided to do something drastic about guns and gun violence, they could, without all the baggage of people demanding their gun rights. But alas corruption (and ineffective policing) make Thailand one of the last places where something as far reaching and permanent as personal armament reduction would be successful. Not to mention the firearm technology, and mental health screening and monitoring of police and military personal that would be required for those still in possession of guns... As it seems they (police and military) are the usual perpetrators of gun violence. That's an even bigger nut (no pun intended) to crack. 

[Viggen840]

7 hours ago, Tim_Melb said:

Fortunately in all places outside the United States people do not hold the same psychotic obsession with guns.

Love your word 'psychotic'. You must be an extremely well-travelled person to be able to put your finger on every place in the world apart from the USA (who are not my favourite people) as those who would willingly give up their penis extension.

It DIDN'T work in Australia the way Kneejerk Johnnie Howard hoped and planned and it definitely will NOT work in Thailand. If a person buys a gun here - legally or illegally, they do so for a purpose and it isn't to go plinking cans on a weekend. I find your entire essay naïve and echoing the socialist mantra to disarm the public at any cost.