Anutin halts gun license issuance for a year

[webfact]

 

A halt on issuing gun licenses for a year has been authorised by Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as part of an effort to reduce gun violence, announced Traisuree Taisaranakul, secretary to the interior minister. The directive, referred to as Por 12, adheres to the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearms Act, she added.

 

The instruction is now on its way to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for approval and is expected to come into effect the day following its announcement in the Royal Gazette.

 

The secretary clarified that this gun-control measure excludes state officials, such as on-duty police officers, who are allowed to carry firearms.

Recently, Suthipong Chulcharoen, the permanent secretary for the interior, instructed provincial governors to command firearms registrars to halt issuing Por 12 licenses within their provinces. Registrars can include provincial governors, district chiefs, and deputy district chiefs, while Bangkok’s firearms registrar is the director-general of the Provincial Administration Department, reported Bangkok Post.

 

by Mitch Connor

Picture courtesy of Thairath

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-23

 

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[Gandtee]

For only a year? It should be forever. Meanwhile, I expect anyone after a few enquiries, can purchase one on the black market. As my old mum used to say " If things don't change they will stay as they are."

[mania]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A halt on issuing gun licenses for a year has been authorised by Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as part of an effort to reduce gun violence,

 

Hello.....Same prob worldwide....Bad guys dont register guns... kow jai mai? They buy them from Somchai's trunk of his stolen car

Edited November 23, 2023 by mania

[huangnon]

2 hours ago, Gandtee said:

For only a year? It should be forever. Meanwhile, I expect anyone after a few enquiries, can purchase one on the black market. As my old mum used to say " If things don't change they will stay as they are."

Yep. I bought one a few years ago from one of my Thai staff at work, after an attempted burglary at my home.

I sold it back to him a few months later, though. I've never bought 30k's worth of fireworks that I haven't let off yet.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

A halt on issuing gun licenses for a year has been authorised by Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as part of an effort to reduce gun violence,

Idiot.

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, mania said:

 

Hello.....Same prob worldwide....Bad guys dont register guns... kow jai mai? They buy them from Somchai's trunk of his stolen car

 

'Bad guys'... ? (how old are you?)  how many innocents in Thailand are killed by licensed guns ?... kids getting dads gun ? A 'good guy' getting pished awf at the neighbors loud party ?....  pished up guys arguing etc... 

 

Cut the number guns, cut the number of innocents dying and getting severely injured from gun deaths - thats just a fact that all stats support.

We're never going to completely eradicate gun crime, there is no 'perfect' water tight solution, so the 'there is still gun crime in the UK' (or other country with strict gun rules) argument is a weak clutch at straws. 

 

 

It seems only the dim NRA loving 'mericans don't get this...   

 

The only valid argument I have ever read or heard of about guns is... 'I want them because I just like them'....  I get it, but its still not an intelligent argument... we don't always get what we want when there is a negative impact on society. 

 

Rifles - fair enough (only for licensed civilians hunting in specific areas - (I mean US - there's no need at all for a rifle in Thailand at all).

Hand Guns - there is no need for any civilian to be carrying one. 

Automatic weapons - there is no need for any civilian to be carrying one. 

 

 

I have never seen an intelligent argument supporting civilians owning guns - I don't expect that to change in this thread either. 

 

Roll on the idiots trying to justify their 'want'... 

 

 

And, anyone presenting the 'cars kill people' argument - forget it, you'll just be outing yourself as a halfwit who really should not be permitted anywhere near a weapon of any sort.

In fact, the arguments used by those who think that civilians should have guns are generally so stupid its is those very people who should be kept away from guns !!!!! 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by richard_smith237

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

how many innocents in Thailand are killed by licensed guns ?... kids getting dads gun ? A 'good guy' getting pished awf at the neighbors loud party ?....  pished up guys arguing etc... 

Agree, The gun laws here are pathetic all guns should be locked in a gun cabinet, bolted to a wall, and inspected before a license is issued. being able to just leave them laying around for anyone to pick up is just so <deleted> Stupid.

Edit; There should also be Mandatory sentencing for ANYBODY that breaks the gun laws.  

[LatPhrao]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Idiot.

Said the idiot...

[Dogmatix]

A Thai friend who is a shooting enthusiast looked into this when Anutin first announced he planned to do this several weeks ago. He believes Anutin can only stop provincial governors from issuing Por 12 carry licences that are valid in their own provinces only. The police chief approves the Bkk and nationwide permits and the Council of State has already ruled that the Interior Ministry has no right to interfere with this when the Interior Ministry under the Yingluck government tried to block the issue of carry permits approved by the police chief. 

 

There are only around 1,000 nationwide carry permits and nearly all are issued to MPs, senators, judges and the like with less than around 50 in the hands of very wealthy businessmen.  The MPs, senators and privy councillors will quickly make a big fuss, if their annual permits cannot be renewed. I don't think provincial carry permits have been issued in recent years.  Certainly none for Bkk only and I don't think the elected governor has that authority anyway.  I believe provincial governors have not wanted to take the risk of issuing permits in case a crime is committed by some one approved by then and there is high risk provincial permit holders will violate their licences and carry their guns over provincial boundaries.  If someone thinks he is important enough to get one, he can be told to apply to the national police chief for a more useful nationwide permit.  Imagine having a permit for Samut Prakan or somewhere and you gun becomes illegal each time you cross a provincial boundary.

 

At first he said he would change the law to discontinue carry permits completely but asking MPs, who are probably the largest single group of civilian legal concealed gun carriers, to vote for it would be like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas. 

 

It is notable that these news from the Interior Ministry was not accompanied by any statistics regarding the number of carry permits in issue and the types of people they are issued to.  Without any analysis of that type it sounds as if significant steps are being taken to reduce the number of guns legally on the streets but the reality is that it will take a very small number of guns out of the hands of a few senior members of society, assuming they don't just continue to carry their guns anyway in the knowledge that no cop would dare arrest them.

 

Meanwhile a large number of the estimated 4 million unregistered guns will continue to be carried around by their owners.

[richard_smith237]

16 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

There are only around 1,000 nationwide carry permits and nearly all are issued to MPs, senators, judges and the like with less than around 50 in the hands of very wealthy businessmen. 

 

I'm not so sure about this... 

Both FiL and BiL have Gun permits...  (family had a large business) - FiL since retired, still has a gun, and I assume a renewed licence. 

BiL has a Gun, Rifle and Shot Gun - permits for all I believe - the permit apparently only permits him carriage to and from home to shooting range.

 

16 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Meanwhile a large number of the estimated 4 million unregistered guns will continue to be carried around by their owners.

 

The solution to this is simple - severe penalties for those caught with guns without permits. 

The issue of course is ineffective policing....   as with many of the issues here. 

 

 

[Dogmatix]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I'm not so sure about this... 

Both FiL and BiL have Gun permits...  (family had a large business) - FiL since retired, still has a gun, and I assume a renewed licence. 

BiL has a Gun, Rifle and Shot Gun - permits for all I believe - the permit apparently only permits him carriage to and from home to shooting range.

 

 

The solution to this is simple - severe penalties for those caught with guns without permits. 

The issue of course is ineffective policing....   as with many of the issues here. 

 

 

 

I have gun permits too but like your relatives permits they are the common or garden Por 4 permits "to have and to use" of which there are around 6 million in Thailand. Under the current law these are lifetime permits but they don't permit the holder to carry loaded guns around.  You can keep at home for self protection and take to the range unloaded in a locked box in your car boot for practice or sport. 

 

Anutin is not talking about Por 4 permits which are still being issued, although they have been making it hard or impossible to those with 5 more guns to apply since before the Paragon shooting,.  He is talking about Por 12 carry permits which allow holders to carry a designated loaded, concealed handgun in public which is clear from the OP article.  Holders need a Por 4 permit to apply for a Por 12.  The Por is valid for a year at a time. If it is not renewed, the holder is not disarmed but keeps the gun and Por 4 permit.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Dogmatix

[Gandtee]

On 11/23/2023 at 9:47 PM, Dogmatix said:

A Thai friend who is a shooting enthusiast looked into this when Anutin first announced he planned to do this several weeks ago. He believes Anutin can only stop provincial governors from issuing Por 12 carry licences that are valid in their own provinces only. The police chief approves the Bkk and nationwide permits and the Council of State has already ruled that the Interior Ministry has no right to interfere with this when the Interior Ministry under the Yingluck government tried to block the issue of carry permits approved by the police chief. 

 

There are only around 1,000 nationwide carry permits and nearly all are issued to MPs, senators, judges and the like with less than around 50 in the hands of very wealthy businessmen.  The MPs, senators and privy councillors will quickly make a big fuss, if their annual permits cannot be renewed. I don't think provincial carry permits have been issued in recent years.  Certainly none for Bkk only and I don't think the elected governor has that authority anyway.  I believe provincial governors have not wanted to take the risk of issuing permits in case a crime is committed by some one approved by then and there is high risk provincial permit holders will violate their licences and carry their guns over provincial boundaries.  If someone thinks he is important enough to get one, he can be told to apply to the national police chief for a more useful nationwide permit.  Imagine having a permit for Samut Prakan or somewhere and you gun becomes illegal each time you cross a provincial boundary.

 

At first he said he would change the law to discontinue carry permits completely but asking MPs, who are probably the largest single group of civilian legal concealed gun carriers, to vote for it would be like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas. 

 

It is notable that these news from the Interior Ministry was not accompanied by any statistics regarding the number of carry permits in issue and the types of people they are issued to.  Without any analysis of that type it sounds as if significant steps are being taken to reduce the number of guns legally on the streets but the reality is that it will take a very small number of guns out of the hands of a few senior members of society, assuming they don't just continue to carry their guns anyway in the knowledge that no cop would dare arrest them.

 

Meanwhile a large number of the estimated 4 million unregistered guns will continue to be carried around by their owners.

Wasn't there a report recently that said the army and police were alleged suppliers of black market guns? 

[mania]

On 11/23/2023 at 3:58 PM, richard_smith237 said:

'Bad guys'... ? (how old are you?)  how many innocents in Thailand are killed by licensed guns ?... kids getting dads gun ? A 'good guy' getting pished awf at the neighbors loud party ?....  pished up guys arguing etc... 

 

Cut the number guns, cut the number of innocents dying and getting severely injured from gun deaths - thats just a fact that all stats support.

 

Must be nice having such a simpleton outlook ;)

 

 

[spidermike007]

It is not only astonishing that this man is Deputy PM, but that he is even allowed to be in government at all.

 

This extremely untalented and incapable man should have been banished a long time ago, and the fact that he's is still around says all we need about the current administration, and Thai govt.