Criminologist urges caution over Nonthaburi school shooting

A criminologist has warned against drawing quick conclusions about the motives behind a school shooting

Makes no difference to the deceased victims what their killer's motives were... they're still dead.

What we can say quickly is they died because the alleged perpetrator (ha!) had easy, quick access to a gun.

FULL STOP.

That's a telegraph term for you young ones not acquainted with 19th century tech terminology. 🤗

Although I essentially agree with criminologist and academic Ajarn Trin Phothiraksa's comments, the reality is that Thailand lacks adequate social and mental health support services. The "traditional" almost "universal" Thai family, village, community support structures are largely (note largely, not totally) absent from contemporary Thailand.

The world is rapidly changing rapidly, and in every country many people are struggling to cope with daily life pressures.

Thailand should be putting more resources into providing adequate social and mental health support services - but that change will not come soon.

Sadly, over many decades, the majority of Thai psychologists I have known end up working in the advertising sector, rather than in social or mental health support services.

2 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

A criminologist has warned against drawing quick conclusions about the motives behind a school shooting

Makes no difference to the deceased victims what their killer's motives were... they're still dead.

What we can say quickly is they died because the alleged perpetrator (ha!) had easy, quick access to a gun.

FULL STOP.

That's a telegraph term for you young ones not acquainted with 19th century tech terminology. 🤗

No, you're partly not right.

It is indeed important to know why this boy needed a gun to solve his problem, no matter where the gun was nor to whom the gun belonged.

It's important to learn from this incident how to prevent similar cases in the future. Counselling rooms and private talk with a teacher in provided school areas is also important.

For the victim's families it might be even important to know why it happened.

I used to be in charge of firearms licensing for a UK police force. Massive effort was put into background checks, demanding security measures such as lockable cabinets, and regular monitoring of behaviour. I even (temporarily) removed the certificates and possession of firearms from a serving police officer having marital problems.

Introduction of similar measures in Thailand coupled with effective enforcement would control both the legal possession and the illegal market in firearms. Unfortunately whilst adequate laws exist, I don’t have faith in enforcement being applied any time soon.

This man listed things that others shouldn't jump to conclusions about, then listed pretty much the same things that likely motivated the shooter, which have all been listed in other topics here. This type of crime has happened so much in America, that not only Americans understand the motives behind it but as seen here, a Thai criminologist does also, who get their educations from things established in western countries, just like their judicial system.

School shootings have happened, and been explained why, for decades now, and it all comes down to the same factors.

Bullying, either in person or cyber, or both. Abuse at home, along with parental neglect. Suicidal ideations along with that anger towards others who he feels have hurt him, taking them out before himself, as has happened so many times before. particular targets sometimes but the system in general, in this case the school that failed him by not protecting him against that bullying.

The grandparents first, possibly because the bullying started there. Absent parents, who left the grandparents in charge, having him believed his own parents didn't care. Other mass shooters have also started at home, killing their own family members.

The shooters almost always give signs before they act. This one spoke of being bullied to someone, who did what to curtail it? If it continued unabated, obviously not much .

A history of researching school shootings, so the school was a target after his grandparents.

Metal detectors will stop school shooting inside the premises, but he could wait outside until school was over.

That some trigger put him over the edge is how it always happens, but this was a planned attack, him waiting for the right moment. All things against him in his life had them come to this point in time.

Psychologists should be available for all schools, to help the students cope with teen problems,as it's one of the most stressful times in our lives. All it can take is someone that listens to prevent tragedies from happening. Then stopping the inevitable bullying that happens in all schools worldwide as soon as it starts.

Teens that know someone will listen have a place to go when no one at home will listen, if they're available at all.

Edited August 8Aug 8 by fredwiggy

10 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

I used to be in charge of firearms licensing for a UK police force. Massive effort was put into background checks, demanding security measures such as lockable cabinets, and regular monitoring of behaviour. I even (temporarily) removed the certificates and possession of firearms from a serving police officer having marital problems.

Introduction of similar measures in Thailand coupled with effective enforcement would control both the legal possession and the illegal market in firearms. Unfortunately whilst adequate laws exist, I don’t have faith in enforcement being applied any time soon.

You are right.

Unfortunately, no matter how much discussion or announced well meaning initiatives to try and understand and prevent such incidents happening again, the reality is that there will be a lack of enforcement over any new regulations and little follow through on initiatives such as counseling.

In my experience, in Thailand if it’s not a quick fix, lessons learned from incidents such as this are quickly forgotten.

At least, so far, no one has suggested that the solution is to start giving teachers guns. That course of action espoused in a country that shall not be named is absolute lunacy.

Edited August 8Aug 8 by wensiensheng

2 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

Thailand needs to review it's gun laws and guns should have to be stored in proper gun lockers with respsonseability on the gun owner as this is law in NZ and many countries, I've seen kids with dad the cops gun carried under the bike seat and know of people who have bought stolen guns through a policemans GF

That's one that America needs to enact immediately, which will curtail many gun crimes. No access, no shooting.

3 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

A criminologist has warned against drawing quick conclusions about the motives behind a school shooting

Makes no difference to the deceased victims what their killer's motives were... they're still dead.

What we can say quickly is they died because the alleged perpetrator (ha!) had easy, quick access to a gun.

FULL STOP.

That's a telegraph term for you young ones not acquainted with 19th century tech terminology. 🤗

Here we go again....blame it on the guns instead of a kid with behavioral issues! If a kid with a sick mind wants to kill and can't get a gun, he'll use a knife or a hammer or any number of other tools available to him. Somebody knew this kid had problems, and nobody spoke up.

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

1. A potential lack of parenting. Or parents who are absent or lacking any parenting skills. Don't have kids if you can't look after them. Period.

2. The grandfather was not cautious with his guns. He needs to be charged and imprisoned for the rest of his life.

3. Even if the problems this piece of crap kid had were known, the extreme lack of mental health access here could have prevented anything being done about it.

4. The extreme weakness that comes from the practice or face means that even if the bullying was reported, there may have been no consequences. Likewise it might have prevented counseling of the creep himself. One of the many consequences of a predominantly tribal culture. In my opinion, of course.

# 2 line - my thai guy at work yesterday told me the kid killed both the grandpa and grandma at home first before he went to the school - so the grandpa has already paid the price if this is the case

There be been some excellent responses to this news item, but the core point stands: this surge isn’t just “kids these days”.

It’s the collision of household weapon access, a lingering Siamese heroic tradition that still valorises standing one’s ground, and modern youth under constant pressure.

When teens are stressed, poorly supported, and surrounded by tools that turn impulse into injury, incidents like this are bound to happen.

School counsellors help, but they don’t fix the home environment or the cultural framing that normalises escalation. The real issue is how thin the line has become between everyday teenage conflict and serious harm.

The bottom line sadly, is that there is no quick fix to this.

1 hour ago, Classic Ray said:

I used to be in charge of firearms licensing for a UK police force. Massive effort was put into background checks, demanding security measures such as lockable cabinets, and regular monitoring of behaviour. I even (temporarily) removed the certificates and possession of firearms from a serving police officer having marital problems.

Introduction of similar measures in Thailand coupled with effective enforcement would control both the legal possession and the illegal market in firearms. Unfortunately whilst adequate laws exist, I don’t have faith in enforcement being applied any time soon.

Unless you were routinely removing the license of parents with teen kids, your checks would have been worthless in this case.