Stricter controls over firearms, fireworks and explosives

[silent]

2 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

Good measure, cause we all know its those foreigners driving around with guns in their car and waving them around as soon as someone passes them on the highway.

Eventually  all problems in Thailand will be ciphered down to foreigners inventing weapons of mass destruction here, or they couldn't be waving guns around in them and there would be no need for highways.

[TKDfella]

Just nitpicking to justify their existence. Won't change anything.

[Hanuman2547]

32 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

I doubt a Thai person could get a permit in those states in the US that have regulations. Nor in Australia. Probably in most nations.
Why is it an issue here for non nationals to not have a gun legally?
I am trained and a responsible gun owner in the states, but do not feel the need for one in Thailand.

 

Actually a lot of non-US citizens can legally purchase firearms including handguns in the USA.  They, of course, must be in the USA legally.  

[carlyai]

2 hours ago, coconuthead said:

it's a good move keeping guns out of the hands of foreigners after what we saw with the old rabid aussie yesterday

I am outraged at you calling one of my countrymen 'rabid'.

It's just our normal behaviour.

[johnny49r]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The amendment also specifies that only Thais can register a gun with authorities. Previously, nationality was not an issue and foreigners residing in Thailand could apply.

So do any Thais register their guns? I'll go ask them when they stop shooting!

[holy cow cm]

2 hours ago, coconuthead said:

it's a good move keeping guns out of the hands of foreigners after what we saw with the old rabid aussie yesterday

Malarky! ! ! Ever hear of a foreigner shooting anyone? Only Thai's have the guns or the renegades in the south. This is just another flagrant attack on foreigners. 

 

Your statement should read: it's a good move keeping machetes out of the hands of foreigners after what we saw with the old rabid aussie yesterday

[soalbundy]

11 minutes ago, habanero said:

There is no such thing as banning guns.  Criminals will always have them.  What do they care what the law is? That's why they are called criminals. If I recall, certain drugs are banned, but people by the millions are still getting and using them. 

 The reason a sane person needs a gun is that the insane have them and when seconds count. The police are only minutes away.

I have worked and traveled in many countries of the world, some risky some safe and at 69 years old I have never needed a gun, what one does need is a minimum of common sense, guns don't make you safe, just the opposite, look at the low number of gun deaths in central Europe where gun ownership is heavily restricted and look at the large numbers of gun killings in the USA, they all think they are Wyatt Earp on steroids.

[Blue Muton]

11 minutes ago, silent said:

Eventually  all problems in Thailand will be ciphered down to foreigners inventing weapons of mass destruction here, or they couldn't be waving guns around in them and there would be no need for highways.

Yes, damn those pesky Chinese for inventing gunpowder!

[maddermax]

I agree with the aim ('scuse the pun) to reduce the number of guns in Thailand whether owned by locals or farangs.  I am a keen shooter but believe there are inherent dangers.  You only have to look at the recent events in LA.

As to the drones, not only are their radio frequencies a danger, they are often flown near to airfields at more than 100 m which can cause in damage to aircraft.

[masuk]

2 hours ago, Prairieboy said:

Interesting to see one of those lanterns land on a dry thatched roof!

 

Actually, that happened in the UK a few years back.  The thatched barn was destroyed, as were the horses inside.

As you can imagine, there was a huge outcry and I believe the fire balloons were totally banned.

However, they're part of the culture here, and not too many thatched roofs.

[Time Traveller]

54 minutes ago, Cranky said:

Are you suggesting that if you carry a gun you are safer?

not sure I understand what your question is....safer than what? 

 

All I'm saying is that when confronted by criminals in which your life is in danger, a gun provides something more than a 0% chance of protecting your life. Not 100%, but it gives some level (as opposed to none) of self defence in life or death situations, especially for people unable to physically defend themselves. 

 

By legislating who is allowed to protect themselves and who is not, is not only extremely discriminatory, but dangerous as it marks relatively wealthy foreigners as easy prey for criminals to target

Edited October 13, 2017 by Time Traveller

[ross163103]

I'm not an expert on stats but as long as I've lived here I think I've heard approx two or three instances of farangs with guns. Instead of targeting farangs might be a better idea to get the "Thai house" in order; target the teens with guns, swords and machetes.....just a thought. 

[SpeakeasyThai]

49 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

I doubt a Thai person could get a permit in those states in the US that have regulations. Nor in Australia. Probably in most nations.
Why is it an issue here for non nationals to not have a gun legally?
I am trained and a responsible gun owner in the states, but do not feel the need for one in Thailand.

 

A 'responsible' gun owner.

If you were a responsible person you would not have a gun.

 

[Yann55]

3 hours ago, hansnl said:

Again, the government stands at the front of foreigner bashing.

There is absolutely no control whatsoever over illegal possession and use of firearms.

It is not certain at all if legally owned guns are used in criminal or threatening acts.

And of course, foreigner owned firearms are only a very small part of legal gun possession.

So in it's infinite wisdom, the government attacks the tiny legal ownership of guns by foreigners, in the farang bashing mode, so to say.

And will do and can't do anything about illegal guns.

My compliments, government.

 

 

Foreigner bashing ... the number one sport in the world nowadays ...

 

In Thailand xenophobia is nothing new, it's just more blatant, and the famous smile that used to cover it up (which Thais themselves ironically call Yim Siam, the Thai smile) is quickly becoming history.

 

By the way, let's not forget that the guy who started the official foreigner bashing stance was ... Thaksin : calling his first party Thai Rak Thai (Thais love Thais) was pretty explicit, I would say, and very much in tune with modern 'communication' (read propaganda) techniques  - you say something that looks positive, for the gallery, while everyone understands that the underlying message, the real one, is negative.

 

Xenophobia ... here's one thing that Thaksin&Co and the present government have in common. Who knows, they could even use it as a base for national reconciliation ! Which is roughly what the extreme right parties are trying to do in the West : unite people against.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2017 by Yann55

[silent]

2 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

Yes, damn those pesky Chinese for inventing gunpowder!

thanks for finishing that part of the equation.

[holy cow cm]

3 minutes ago, maddermax said:

I agree with the aim ('scuse the pun) to reduce the number of guns in Thailand whether owned by locals or farangs.  I am a keen shooter but believe there are inherent dangers.  You only have to look at the recent events in LA.

As to the drones, not only are their radio frequencies a danger, they are often flown near to airfields at more than 100 m which can cause in damage to aircraft.

Sorry, don't buy it. It is purely another racist restricting whack at foreigners. LA, it was Las Vegas (LV).

 

I literally fly domestically and within SE Asia over 50-60 times per year (go and come back included) so am at airports repeatedly. Last Friday just came back from a Bangkok trip and on Monday off to Vietnam. Just on this new Monday trip will be 4 flights, and for the record I have never ever ever seen a drone close or near any airport. And yes I stare/look out windows from the airplane and on the way to the airport. So I am a little lost trying to make sense of your rational about guns and drones here. 

[mecons1]

What will happen to those ex-pats already legally owning a firearm will the law be retrospective?

[FitnessHealthTravel]

My guess is if you need to own a gun you probably need to change your lifestyle.

[Time Traveller]

15 minutes ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

A 'responsible' gun owner.

If you were a responsible person you would not have a gun.

 

When you've been the victim of a violent crime, you might think otherwise. 

 

[portroyal]

Ban guns, yes ! But for everybody

[John Richards]

11 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Stricter controls on those who lie and bullSh>> first please.

Do any other countries do that then ? 

[bazza73]

2 hours ago, abhaya said:

Can I still keep my "pocket rocket"?

Only if you post a photo of her.

[JGV]

Come to Chonburi province - easy to get with so many military eager to buy the new Iphone

[Lucky mike]

Should end for everyone ?

[bazza73]

I can't think of anything more risky than a falang to be waving a gun around in the presence of Thais. It would be like a red rag to a bull. So I don't want or need one. The law does not affect me.

All these stories of violent and criminal Thais. I've been here 9 years, and am yet to encounter one. If you act sensibly, are polite, and mind your own business, Thailand is no more dangerous than anywhere else.

[ianf]

12 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

and now strict control over drones. even small drones used in photography.

 

at this rate, soon people are going to need to learn to drive.

Legislative control over drones is not restricted to Thailand...........The UK Parliament has also promulgated licensing laws....

Meanwhile: So happy to see more control over weapons. Should ban all people from ownership but in my opinion there is no need for anyone, Thai or Farang to own a gun. America take note.

[KhonkaenExpat]

It is not the Foreigners they should worry about, if a Foreigner or a Thai wants a gun, they can get one illegally on the black market, the same as any other country in the world, the sale of guns and fireworks should ban period, the authorities will wait until more Children are seriously injured and maimed before they take action against fireworks.

If you looked at the statistics on how many Foreigners have been involved in shootings over the last 20 years, and then compare it with reports of drunken policemen shooting one another in arguments I know which would come out on top.               

[Thaimike370]

Southernstar,  Two-legged ones!  There are quite a few of them around.

[connda]

1 hour ago, Time Traveller said:

not sure I understand what your question is....safer than what? 

 

All I'm saying is that when confronted by criminals in which your life is in danger, a gun provides something more than a 0% chance of protecting your life. Not 100%, but it gives some level (as opposed to none) of self defence in life or death situations, especially for people unable to physically defend themselves. 

 

By legislating who is allowed to protect themselves and who is not, is not only extremely discriminatory, but dangerous as it marks relatively wealthy foreigners as easy prey for criminals to target

No, you can protect yourself, but you need to understand the consequences of doing so.  You can live in a home that has a firearm which is in a Thai resident's name, and if you used the firearm against an equally armed intruder, you are probably going to prison.  So your options are - injury or death via assault by a gun/lethal weapon wielding assailant breaking into your home, or protecting your family and your own life with deadly force.  In short: die today, or protect yourself to be jailed and live another day.
They'll be those who will argue that they can hide, call 911, plead with the armed assailant - but what I've seen here in Thailand is a complete lack of respect for the sanctity of life.  Life is cheap, and an armed assailant breaking into your home, as far as I'm concerned, is coming to do you and your family grievous bodily harm.  There are enough news articles available concerning the theme of an armed robber killing the occupants of a home for their valuables.  No witness, no problem, well except for the CCTV then these morons never seem to consider.
I could be wrong but I haven't heard of the equivalent of a "Castle Doctrine" here in Thailand, or laws regarding the use of deadly force in the face of a disparity of force, or using a gun on a machete/gun/knife/rebar/heavy object wielding attacker attacking you in your own home, so even a Thai native protecting themselves in their own home from an armed intruder attack that would lead to grievous bodily harm if not stopped could lead to a prison sentence.  What keeps one person from going to prison as opposed to another?  It's your status, your wealth, and your connections which really end up dictating the outcome.  Basically a coin flip.  And as a foreigner, it's a coin flip with a weighted coin. And with this new legislation, I'd say that unless you are very rich and connected your going to see prison time.  But then there is always paying blood money.  That's a different story.  
 

Edited October 13, 2017 by connda

[digger70]

4 hours ago, catman20 said:

why would you want a gun? you must live in a bad area.

Self Defense  comes to mind , especially with all the mafia and Gun ho Idiots around .They shoot you around here  for a frowned look.