Thailand and guns: Media mentions thousands of deaths from gun violence - but the USA is worse

[webfact]

Thailand and guns: Media mentions thousands of deaths from gun violence - but the USA is worse

 

 

Thailand's National News Bureau said on Facebook that recent incidents of violence with guns have prompted questions about Thailand and the gun laws.

 

They wanted to put the record straight with some facts and statistics. These were expressed in a series of clear slides in English.

 

They said that Thai gun laws have been in place since 1947. people could acquire licences for the purpose of self defence, protection of property, sports and hunting.

 

Since an amendment to the law in 2017 only Thai citizens could own guns.

 

Thailand is NOT among the top 25 countries in the world in terms of legal firearms ownership per capita.

 

But they conceded that Thailand has problems with a "thriving" grey and black market in guns.

 

Thailand ranks 13th in the world in terms of civilian held legal and illicit firearm ownership.

 

This is above The Philippines, a nation often cited as a country where there are a lot of guns, notes Thaivisa.

 

In 2016 there were 3,830 gun related deaths in Thailand ranking the country as 11th worst in the world.

 

This was not as bad as countries like Brazil, the USA and India, said the media.

 

Many people in Thailand are questioning the availability of guns in the wake of the fatal shootings in Korat at the weekend in which a soldier killed 29 people before he was shot dead at the Terminal 21 mall in downtown Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday.

 

Source: Facebook NNT

 

 

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[CNXexpat]

It seems it´s too easy to get a gun in Thailand when I read the many articles where someone shot dead another one for a small reason.

An interesting article about the same topic:
https://pattayaone.news/thailands-gun-murder-rate/?fbclid=IwAR1EJODis67vGZ39WhrxMM8T0OQdb59BozvY09klgp0kotKGeuuRpy5E_1s

[RotBenz8888]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand and guns: Media mentions thousands of deaths from gun violence - but the USA is worse

And Zimbabwe is worse than Thailand in terms of traffic deaths!

[sammieuk1]

Its a face saving thing they like to blow yours off first often for very little reason ????

Edited February 13, 2020 by sammieuk1

[pookiki]

I saw several news accounts that the Korat shooter purchased three weapons through the 'Army welfare program'.  Is there a limit on the number of weapons that can be purchased under the program? What, if anything, prevents these weapons being sold on the 'black' or 'gray' market'?

 

Based on what I have 'heard' but with no personal experience, I was always under the impression that if you had enough money, getting a gun in Thailand wasn't a problem. 

 

I would also be curious to know if carrying a weapon in Thailand is legal and whether the Thai government issues permits to gun holders.

Edited February 13, 2020 by pookiki
grammar

[Pravda]

I can sense a clear disappointment in the article as not being a hub.

 

There is always next year!

[bkkatl]

35% of U.S. mass shooters (lone, male, 18-59) are veterans, whereas 14.76% of the general population (male, 18-59) are veterans. A mass shooter is 2.37 times more likely to be a veteran than a random person is. - The Foreign Policy Journal

 

Of course veterans are not all mass shifters waiting to explode.

 

[Assurancetourix]

27 minutes ago, Pravda said:

I can sense a clear disappointment in the article as not being a hub.

 

There is always next year!

Don't be pessimistic 

In absolute terms, the USA and Brazil, which each have 7 to 8 times more inhabitants than Thailand, are of course ahead;
but relatively, Thailand beats them and from very far.

[LomSak27]

Playbook tactic #1 If it is bad, try and drag the USA into it. However  .. 

 

In 2016 Thailand's rate of violent gun-related deaths stood at 4.45 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, that of the Philippines was 7.42; the US, 3.85; Cambodia, 0.96; Myanmar, 0.56; Malaysia, 0.46; Indonesia, 0.10; and Singapore, 0.03.

 

Coconuts had this story on TV a couple years back back

 

NPR ran the data from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation after the recent mass shootings in California, and found Thailand had 7.48 violent gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2013. That’s over twice the gun death rate in the US, which had 3.55 deaths per 100,000 people in the same year. Thailand also has the highest gun death rate in Asia, the data shows. It had 50% more deaths than the Philippines, which also beat the US gun death rate with 4.64 deaths per 100,000 people.

 

Maybe they should not have included ... but the USA is worse
 

[Saint Nick]

What is the point in always looking for the ones, that perform worse than you?

[USNret]

So because America is worse, we can accept violence in Thailand?  Is that the story here?

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Media mentions thousands of deaths from gun violence - but the USA is worse

They wanted to put the record straight with some facts and statistics.

The US has many more inhabitants than Thailand, so if you are talking statistics, then you have to factor that in.

[deesquared]

What does gun rights have anything to do with a soldier rading an armory? If anything gun rights could have helped this situation. We've seen this time and time again in the US when a private citizen stops a shooting with their own weapon. 

[DrTuner]

9 minutes ago, Saint Nick said:

What is the point in always looking for the ones, that perform worse than you?

It's an excuse for doing nothing.

[spidermike007]

This recent massacre is extremely rare in Thailand. I am far more fearful of violence and being shot in the US, than I am here. 

 

Most gun deaths in Thailand are Thai on Thai. Very little violence against foreigners, fortunately. 

[Geoffggi]

Comparing Thailand with other countries is another matter, the fact that Thailand has a gun problem should be all this discussion is about instead of trying to blindside everyone as to which country is worst....!!

[DoctorG]

1 hour ago, bkkatl said:

35% of U.S. mass shooters (lone, male, 18-59) are veterans, whereas 14.76% of the general population (male, 18-59) are veterans. A mass shooter is 2.37 times more likely to be a veteran than a random person is. - The Foreign Policy Journal

 

Of course veterans are not all mass shifters waiting to explode.

 

 

Very interesting stats, but I am happy to report that I have not shot anybody so far this year (although it is only Feb).

????

[wombat]

er...Thailand population, 70 million.
America population 328 million....i think LOS is doing well.

[roadrunerboi]

Comparing with countries that are worse off... that makes a hell lotta sense...

 

Why don't they try Singapore?

[natway09]

Just bring one back from Cambodia, it is a ttriving business

[Docno]

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

Playbook tactic #1 If it is bad, try and drag the USA into it. However  .. 

 

In 2016 Thailand's rate of violent gun-related deaths stood at 4.45 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, that of the Philippines was 7.42; the US, 3.85; Cambodia, 0.96; Myanmar, 0.56; Malaysia, 0.46; Indonesia, 0.10; and Singapore, 0.03.

 

Coconuts had this story on TV a couple years back back

 

NPR ran the data from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation after the recent mass shootings in California, and found Thailand had 7.48 violent gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2013. That’s over twice the gun death rate in the US, which had 3.55 deaths per 100,000 people in the same year. Thailand also has the highest gun death rate in Asia, the data shows. It had 50% more deaths than the Philippines, which also beat the US gun death rate with 4.64 deaths per 100,000 people.

 

Maybe they should not have included ... but the USA is worse
 

Not sure where you get those numbers. The NPR piece I find (from last year) has the rate for the US at 4.43 while the comparable rate for Thailand is 3.71 and the rate for the Philippines is 9.20(!). 

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/08/05/743579605/how-the-u-s-compares-to-other-countries-in-deaths-from-gun-violence

 

So it seems they were technically correct in placing the US ahead of them... 

[Docno]

51 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

The US has many more inhabitants than Thailand, so if you are talking statistics, then you have to factor that in.

… and when you do, the US still comes out as worse

[janetdoe]

I would own a gun for self defence if the law hadn't changed in 2017. I meet the criteria for legally owning a gun apart from not being Thai. I still want to defend myself if the case arises. I've felt this way after being physically threaten a few months ago. I'm not pro-gun but if the Thai man in the street can legally own one for protection I'd like to too.

[MickGC]

I love maps and charts

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/us-gun-violence-statistics-maps-charts

[Guderian]

No need to worry, the government has everything 100% under control!

[samuttodd]

Clearly,  the solution is to make massacres illegal.

[featography]

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

Playbook tactic #1 If it is bad, try and drag the USA into it. However  .. 

 

In 2016 Thailand's rate of violent gun-related deaths stood at 4.45 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, that of the Philippines was 7.42; the US, 3.85; Cambodia, 0.96; Myanmar, 0.56; Malaysia, 0.46; Indonesia, 0.10; and Singapore, 0.03.

 

Coconuts had this story on TV a couple years back back

 

NPR ran the data from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation after the recent mass shootings in California, and found Thailand had 7.48 violent gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2013. That’s over twice the gun death rate in the US, which had 3.55 deaths per 100,000 people in the same year. Thailand also has the highest gun death rate in Asia, the data shows. It had 50% more deaths than the Philippines, which also beat the US gun death rate with 4.64 deaths per 100,000 people.

 

Maybe they should not have included ... but the USA is worse
 

And if we removed the 5 cities that have the strictest gun control laws, which also carries the highest rate of gun deaths, the rest of the US would be one of the safest countries to be in, in spite of owning more guns than any other country. 

[featography]

57 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Very interesting stats, but I am happy to report that I have not shot anybody so far this year (although it is only Feb).

????

I don't know where the Foreign Policy Journal bakes their statistics, but the facts are the largest % killings are done by gangs while committing robberies, turf wars, drug deals going wrong, and kids under duress, peer pressure, victims of bullying, and or mental issues, shooting up schools. US Veterans involved in illegal gun use are few and far between. 

[Jimbo2014]

Great... lets compare ourselves with the most gun toting crazy country in the world.  Just like Bangkok smog is not as bad as Delhi's ????

[Vacuum]

12 minutes ago, samuttodd said:

Clearly,  the solution is to make massacres illegal.

Like wars?