4 million reasons to believe Thailand has a problem with illegal guns

[webfact]

 

Recent incidents of gun violence and police crackdowns on illegal guns have proved how easy it is to acquire this kind of weapon in Thailand despite tough firearm laws.

 

A 40-year-old woman who recently shot and killed her boyfriend, whom she accused of assaulting her, told police that she bought the pistol on the Internet.

 

In early August, a gunfight between two rival gangs of youths in Ubon Ratchathani province left three people dead and six others injured. Police said the shootout involved smuggled rifles from the Cold War era.

 

In July, more than 2,300 modified guns and several thousand bullets destined for an online marketplace were seized during a police raid in Bangkok.

 

Last week, a 52-year-old Bangkok man was arrested in possession of an unregistered shotgun, pistol, and 34 bullets that police said were purchased online.

 

Readily available online

 

People appear to have easy access to unregistered firearms in Thailand, as online marketplaces make it cheap and easy for civilians to obtain guns without having to go through complicated background checks.

 

 

Several Thai social media accounts offer guns for sale with a home delivery service. A Twitter account with the hashtag “#puenthuan” (illegal guns) lists pistols ranging in price from 2,500 to 15,000 baht – far lower than their legitimate counterparts.

 

Unlicensed firearms remain prevalent in the country despite occasional police crackdowns on illegal gun vendors.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/4-million-reasons-to-believe-thailand-has-a-problem-with-illegal-guns/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-09-03

 

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[Pouatchee]

Owning an unregistered gun is insane anywhere you live. The chances that the gun was involved in a crime are quite high. If the gun is tracked balistically and you are caught with it then it is likely you will be accused of the crime it was used for, even if you did not commit it. 

[trainman34014]

When you have Police and Soldiers selling Guns to anyone for the right price there will always be 'A Problem' !

[Andylongtime]

The quickest way to to get a gun on Koh Samui is to ask the police 10000baht and you will have a 9mm pistol with in an hour. 

[proton]

13 minutes ago, Andylongtime said:

The quickest way to to get a gun on Koh Samui is to ask the police 10000baht and you will have a 9mm pistol with in an hour. 

Do they post them? ????

[Songlaw]

I expect a lot of visceral over-reaction to this but uncovering the nearly infinite parallels between Thailand and the USA has been a continuous source of bemusement for quite some time. Holy mother of <deleted>.

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

When you have Police and Soldiers selling Guns to anyone for the right price there will always be 'A Problem' !

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30334106

2017

Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong:

70 inmates convicted of making guns will receive training to improve their skills. 

• 33 will have jobs in the Royal Thai Army
• 20 work as technicians
• 13 work as "service providers"

Maybe some are "moonlighting?"

 

[connda]

5 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

Owning an unregistered gun is insane anywhere you live. The chances that the gun was involved in a crime are quite high. If the gun is tracked balistically and you are caught with it then it is likely you will be accused of the crime it was used for, even if you did not commit it. 

Serious fines and jail time for having one.  However, the registration process is lengthy.  Been there, done that.  And the prices for pistols/revolvers are about 5 times the price in the West and for rifles/shotguns about 3 time the cost.  And even carrying a gun to the range with the proper paperwork can be problematic.  It a trip that can cost you upwards of 20,000 THB.  It makes it tough to practice.

[connda]

1 hour ago, Andylongtime said:

The quickest way to to get a gun on Koh Samui is to ask the police 10000baht and you will have a 9mm pistol with in an hour. 

And then it costs you another 20,000 THB to stay out of jail when they come looking for your unregistered gun.  TIT ????

Edited September 3, 2022 by connda

[internationalism]

there use to be some some 10mln - 2mln registered and 8mln illegal guns.

That gradually changed after military coup in 2014 and illegal fall to 4 mln now (owners were forced to register, now over 6mln permits).

some permit holders own several guns.

[spidermike007]

If Thailand had a real police force, that took pride in the actual practice of law enforcement, and the effective equivalent of an FBI, this might not be the problem it is. 

[fabruer]

That gunshop owner is simply clueless or giving calculated (yet still stupid) answers:

 

+) weapons in Thailand not as deadly as weapons in the US ????‍♂️????????

+) no masshootings possible with weapons available to the public in Thailand ????‍♂️????????

+) in Thailand gun dealers tell parents not to show their guns to their kids ????‍♂️????????

 

I need stop here, though I am still shaking my head. What a muffin.

[Lemsta69]

1 hour ago, Andylongtime said:

The quickest way to to get a gun on Koh Samui is to ask the police 10000baht and you will have a 9mm pistol with in an hour. 

I've been hearing stories like that since I first hit Samui in mid-1997. hard to know if it's an urban myth or legit. but I was told so many different stories by many different people about such things so I'm tending towards the latter.

[IvorBiggun2]

We've been burgled twice over the years. One time was when we were in bed asleep and he woke the wife who then woke me. My wife, after that, was a gibbering wreck. She sort help from a local policeman friend who gave her a 9mm automatic pistol for security until we could have security grills fitted.

 

[connda]

Legal, registered guns are pretty much limited to middle/upper class citizens.  A typical handgun is going to cost you 90,000 THB upwards.  They ain't cheap.  And the registration process can be a multi-week if not multi-month process at your local Amphur.  Hence, people go the quick, cheap route and hope they don't get caught.  However, if they use the gun in a home defense situation, most will find themselves in jail for possession of an unregistered firearm.  Not very smart.

[connda]

3 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

We've been burgled twice over the years. One time was when we were in bed asleep and he woke the wife who then woke me. My wife, after that, was a gibbering wreck. She sort help from a local policeman friend who gave her a 9mm automatic pistol for security until we could have security grills fitted.

 

Flashing your unregistered firearm online (can make out the serial number too).  Humm ????
You may want to give that a second thought.  Just saying....

[Lacessit]

21 minutes ago, connda said:

Legal, registered guns are pretty much limited to middle/upper class citizens.  A typical handgun is going to cost you 90,000 THB upwards.  They ain't cheap.  And the registration process can be a multi-week if not multi-month process at your local Amphur.  Hence, people go the quick, cheap route and hope they don't get caught.  However, if they use the gun in a home defense situation, most will find themselves in jail for possession of an unregistered firearm.  Not very smart.

I was not aware foreigners could legally own a gun here.

Home defense is easy when one is surrounded by neighbors who all know each other, and are all related in one way or another. Even easier in a condo.

Comparing Thailand to America IMO is false equivalence. Mass shootings, which are common in the USA, do not seem to happen here, probably because Thai teenagers and assorted nutjobs can't buy semi-automatic weapons.

[ChrisY1]

"People appear to have easy access to unregistered firearms"

There's no "appearance" issue.....guns are easy to get...

With an estimated 10 million unregistered weapons here....it's obvious that getting ones hands on a gun is not hard.  Many come from Cambodia....30--50K would get one.

[IvorBiggun2]

53 minutes ago, connda said:

Flashing your unregistered firearm online (can make out the serial number too).  Humm ????
You may want to give that a second thought.  Just saying....

Tell that to the cop who it belongs to. No second thought needed.

[Charlie Halliday]

Why the hell does anyone need a gun in thailand! Safest place in South East Asia to live outside Singapore and Hong Kong. 

[The Theory]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

despite tough firearm laws.

But who enforce the law ? ????????????

[Deerculler]

There was a time when Farang could own a firearm.

 

It is no longer possible.

It changed after the coup.

Edited September 3, 2022 by Deerculler
Spelling correction.

[starky]

3 hours ago, connda said:

Serious fines and jail time for having one.  However, the registration process is lengthy.  Been there, done that.  And the prices for pistols/revolvers are about 5 times the price in the West and for rifles/shotguns about 3 time the cost.  And even carrying a gun to the range with the proper paperwork can be problematic.  It a trip that can cost you upwards of 20,000 THB.  It makes it tough to practice.

Foreigners can no longer get gun licenses in Thailand. 

[jack71]

5 hours ago, connda said:

It a trip that can cost you upwards of 20,000 THB.  It makes it tough to practice.

Problematic in what way>.... I can drive 140 km/hr in a 90 zone and never be pulled over. What are the chances of getting caught taking a firearm to the range. Zero i think

[Kalasin Jo]

6 hours ago, proton said:

Do they post them? ????

Probably hand delivered to your doorstep 

[Jonathan Swift]

11 hours ago, Songlaw said:

I expect a lot of visceral over-reaction to this but uncovering the nearly infinite parallels between Thailand and the USA has been a continuous source of bemusement for quite some time. Holy mother of <deleted>.

I wasn't aware that Thailand had a problem with schoolchildren being mowed down with AR15s nearly every other week. And this subject bemuses you? Let's hope we never meet in a bar somewhere, I may vomit at your presence.

[bristolgeoff]

From what i know guns are available everywhere in thailand legal and illegal.A farang with a gun  anywhere it is gone to the police to keep or sell later.The farang locked up or fined.Not as bad as amercia,but u never know.If you upset a thai be careful he may come back with friends and guns

[mania]

18 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

Owning an unregistered gun is insane anywhere you live. The chances that the gun was involved in a crime are quite high. If the gun is tracked balistically and you are caught with it then it is likely you will be accused of the crime it was used for, even if you did not commit it. 

True that is is a stupid move to go illegal

But about the ballistic fingerprints of a gun for the knowledgeable that is really only true of a revolver

 

As any "1911" style semi-auto pistol can change its barrel in under 5 minutes & tons of new barrels are available both normal or improved match barrels. also barrels are not subject to regulations as it is a part. Only the lower or receiver which is serial numbered is a regulated firearm

 

Since the fingerprint comes from the “rifling” marks that road is closed once barrel is changed

Edited September 3, 2022 by mania

[KIngsofisaan]

12 hours ago, connda said:

Legal, registered guns are pretty much limited to middle/upper class citizens.  A typical handgun is going to cost you 90,000 THB upwards.  They ain't cheap.  And the registration process can be a multi-week if not multi-month process at your local Amphur.  Hence, people go the quick, cheap route and hope they don't get caught.  However, if they use the gun in a home defense situation, most will find themselves in jail for possession of an unregistered firearm.  Not very smart.

Better odds of getting struck by lightening.

 

I don't think anyone is worrying or hoping they will get caught.

 

All your fear mongering is unfounded by facts or statistics.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Several Thai social media accounts offer guns for sale with a home delivery service. A Twitter account with the hashtag “#puenthuan” (illegal guns) lists pistols ranging in price from 2,500 to 15,000 baht – far lower than their legitimate counterparts.

RTP are only interested in roadside fines and other revenue streams.

I thought Thailand had a "digital" watcdog that was supposed to clean-up the internet?

Ohhh that's right they banned P-hub.