THAILAND will tighten its firearms laws following a deadly shooting rampage that killed eight people, including a 14-year-old suspected gunman, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.
Anutin said he would propose new legislation restricting the possession and carrying of firearms by civilians following the attack at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok.
"The new law will only allow government officials who are on duty to carry firearms," he told reporters.
He did not provide further details, including whether existing requirements for firearm ownership would also be tightened.
Under Thailand’s current regulations, licences to possess and carry firearms are issued separately.
The proposed measures follow a shooting spree in which the teenager allegedly took a registered handgun belonging to his grandfather and used it to kill his grandparents at their home before travelling to school.
Police said he then opened fire at the school, killing five staff members before turning the gun on himself. He died while being taken to hospital.
At least 23 other people were injured in the attack.
The victims at the school included a maths teacher, a Thai language teacher, a guidance counsellor, a student affairs administrator and a secretary, according to police.
Foreign news agencies reported that the shooting sent students fleeing from classrooms as emergency workers treated the injured and anxious parents gathered outside the school seeking news of their children.
Grade 12 student Pakonkiat Sangchan, 17, said he was studying when he saw the gunman walking towards the school building.
"My friend suggested that we start running, so that’s what we did. We just ran," he said.
Another student, 17-year-old Purin Khumchoo, described the suspect as a troubled teenager who appeared "very professional" when he pointed the gun at him.
"My group of friends who knew him said he was interested in the FBI and guns, and that he was bullied by many other students," Purin said.
He said he was depressed and saddened by the deaths.
"The two teachers who were killed were lovely, and many students became better people because of them," he said.
Sixteen-year-old Thatchai Jaiyen said he remained shocked by the death of a former teacher whom he described as a kind person.
"I’m still in shock," he said.
"She was such a good person. I thought that if she had encountered the shooter, she might have been able to reason with him.
"I never expected that the child would actually shoot her."
The suspect’s aunt, Samang Chaisorn, said the teenager was quiet, reserved and kept largely to himself.
"He wasn’t particularly cheerful; he was just very quiet," she said.
She said she had called the teenager’s grandfather after learning about the shooting, asking him to pick up his grandson, but could not reach him.
She did not know at the time that her nephew was allegedly responsible for the attack.
Anutin said the boy’s grandmother, who was among those killed at the family home, had been a teacher and was strict with him about his studies.
"She used to be a teacher and she was quite strict on him about studying," he said.
The shooting has renewed scrutiny of Thailand’s widespread civilian gun ownership and the accessibility of legally registered firearms.
Thailand is estimated to have about 10.3 million civilian-owned firearms, equivalent to around 15 firearms for every 100 people and the highest estimated civilian gun ownership rate in Southeast Asia, according to Small Arms Survey estimates from 2017.
About six million firearms are believed to be registered, while nearly four million are estimated to be unregistered.
The country has experienced repeated shooting incidents in public places, including schools and shopping centres. In 2022, an armed attack killed 36 people, including 22 children.
Following a shooting at a Bangkok shopping centre in October 2023, the Thai government introduced several gun-control measures, including temporarily freezing the issuance of new firearm licences, restricting firearm imports and proposing stricter mental health screening for gun owners.
The latest attack is expected to intensify pressure on the government to further restrict civilian access to firearms, particularly amid allegations that the teenager obtained his grandfather’s legally registered handgun.
Anutin’s proposed legislation could mark a further tightening of Thailand’s firearms regime, although the scope of the restrictions and how they would be enforced have yet to be announced. - August 8, 2026
