Gun Laws In Thailand

[aussiejosh]

P.S. Weekend warrior, what type of long gun is that? Picture resolution is not good, but looks like a good old 12 gauge shotgun?

Yes it is, my favorute for duck shooting. It is a big gun and nearly taller than me.

I make my own cartridges to with a little extra kick in them to bring the duck down.

As for a fan of Terry Nickols, I do not know who that is, can you expolian please.

Cambo is real good for guns, you can hire all kinds a stuff and blow shit up.

I brought a cow once and threw hand grenades at it and then finished it off with a Browning M2 50 cilber machine gun

We blew up a cow with a mortar in Cambodia for 300$, didn't mention if we actually hit the cow it cost more.... Trust me you don't want to know how much it costs to shoot at a local, if they are locals....

[Nerone]

A_Traveller's reply seems to cover micksterb's question very well but following on that thread it appears that some of the criteria needed to obtain a firearm has changed over the past few years. My wife purchased a hand gun about 8 years ago. She was neither 35 years of age at that time nor did she have a million baht in a bank account. She did have to supply a "character reference" from her Kamnan though.

Can you be more accurate in describing that "character reference"? How is it call in thai? Where she can get that? Only in the village where she is registered?

[Arkady]

Having done a bit of research on Thai sources I think the information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted by Maestro was purely for foreign consumption and doesn't necessarily reflect the way the regulations are applied today. Things were certainly tightened up during Thaksin's time but I don't think any new gun control laws were issued, although there might have been some new ministerial or police regulations. The only reference to an age limit is that an applicant must be at least 20. The police have to examine assets and income and applicants should have a job. There are obviously some minimum guidelines for money in the bank and salary which may vary between Bangkok and the provinces but these are not shown in black and white anywhere I can find. I think the 1 million baht in the bank and 10 million baht paid up capital of the employer are minimums that have probably never existed outside the Foreign Ministry's nice document but I could be wrong.

Foreigners are specified in the regulations. They must have an alien book which means that they have to have been granted permanent residence (or be accredited diplomats). The guidelines for the provincial police also stipulate the need to investigate whether foreign applicants have Thai spouses and children or foreign families without making it clear which they prefer. (I know a farang with a foreign wife and kids who has a gun permit). They also stipulate careful investigation of foreign applicants' political sympathies to insure they have no sympathies with "socialist groups", obviously a Cold War hang over. The provincial police guidelines also say that applicants who want guns for protection of themselves and their property should normally be limited to two guns each, unless they can demonstrate a need otherwise.

Licenses to carry guns seem to have been made more difficult and the list of people who had automatic entitlement to the permits, including MPs, senators and royal princes seems to have been dropped. Those who qualify are now mainly government and state enterprise employees who need to carry concealed guns in their work but there is still a category for ordinary citizens who have special reasons to carry a gun. Even these are not allowed to carry concealed weapons into entertainment or religious venues.

Here are some Thai sources:

http://www.thaipolicestation.com/m02.php#a19

http://www.dopa.go.th/servi/weapon.html

If any one with PR is seriously interested, I would suggest going along the Police Licensing Bureau in Lardproa (which licenses hotels, videos and pawnshops as well guns) for more information or ask your friendly gun shop owner in Burapha, if in Bangkok.

Edited March 8, 2009 by Arkady

[oldsparrow]

In Thailand, you can apply to buy some:

Types

1. Semi automatic pistol and revolver of barrel not exceeding 6 inches

2. Shotgun and rifle, you can buy semi automatic .22 and shotgun but not center fire rifle

3. NO minimal barrel length for rifle and shotgun, it can be short

4. Caliber not bigger than .45 for every type except smooth-bore shotgun

Remarks

1. Every pieces in licensed gun shop is OK

2. No limit of number of gun you can buy but you have to apply everytime

3. No limit for ammunition poccession BUT you can poccess only the ammunition of your licensed gun. Owning a cartridge of other caliber can lead to imprisonment.

If you or your friend read Thai, please visit

[oldsparrow]

PS:

The gun registration office for BKK residents has moved from Police Registration Division in Ladprao to one Service Center of Ministry of Interior near Nangleng horse racing track. Please visit www.dopa.go.th

[oldsparrow]

if things go as planned, I'll be moving out to Thailand in about six years :D . I legally carry a gun here for work and will be able to carry after I retire. I'm going to be bummed in that regards when I move to Thailand since I have to leave the weapons here, BUT I've never felt threatened when I visited Thailand so bummed as I maybe at just the fact that carrying a gun won't be an option, I'll be glad to be there living a simple life with my honey.....But she will probably have to get a Remington 870 for our home with 00 buckshot tactical load if available

Sir,

So far I have not seen any tactical load imported. US shot available are mostly grey box Win Super X, Yellow box mild load Win made in Australia, S&B from Czech Republic and some other clay targer shots. We have some Thai brands but hey are all full house. It's about 650 Bahts/Box of 25 shells.

You can get semi auto shotgun here. I have a Benelli M4, standard type with collapsible stock and 6 shots tube magazine.

[manarak]

hmmm...

I thought about an MP5 with some accessories for house defense and a small 9mm handgun for bedroom defense (like a Kahr T9 or a browningHP or a Walther PPS)

no chance for the MP5, eh?

(I mean the short version with 3 shot bursts)

Edited May 9, 2009 by manarak

[bill1369]

From A_Traveller's summary the regulations certainly seem to have tightened up, probably as a result of Thaksin's push to restrict gun ownership, even though that was resisted by the police who are generally in favor of licensed gun ownership because they like the idea of civilians being responsible for their own protection rather than them. I had a copy of the pre-Thaksin regulations which didn't specify a 35 year age limit, although that is probably a good idea. The bank depposit was only about B40,000 not B1 million and I think there was requirement to have a letter from an employer confirming a salary of about B40,000 month too. The B10 million registered capital for company managers is also new and sounds rather strict. Thaksin also told the police not to issue licenses for those already had a firearm but the police probably abandoned that after he got the boot. Licensing is a nice little earner for the police licensing dept as they charge an under the counter fee for each applicant that doesn't his application left pending for a couple of years.

I don't know if this summary submitted by the govt to the UN is accurate. You could get an up-to-date version from the police gun licensing office in Lardprao or just ask the gun shops around the Old Siam Center in Bangkok's Chinatown. They know the score and don't want to waste time with customer's whose applications will be rejected.

Foreigners are entitled to a Por 4 license for home protection, only if they are permanent residents, or specially approved i.e. embassy staff or DEA agents. This seems not to be a problem in Bangkok but provincial governors and provincial police can set their own guidelines and may choose not issue licenses to foreigners. The Phuket governor used to have a policy not to issue them. Don't know if that is still the case.

The additional license for a civilian to carry a concealed weapon in public is very hard to obtain, except for MPs, senators and senior members of the Royal Family. Applicants would have to proove a strong need e.g. owning a jewellery business and carry valuable items around. Again embassy staff and DEA can get these but I would think it very rare for other foreigners. Carry permits are only valid for one year, whereas the Por 4 permit is valid for the holder's lifetime.

Technically it is illegal to carry a licensed gun in your car to a firing range or to a repair shop but police seem to accept that is OK, as licensees would otherwise never have a chance to practice with their guns, as long as it is not loaded and ammo is not in the same part of the car as the gun.

Your answer seemed to be the most knowlegeable so I have a Q about gun laws. I have begun moving things to my BKK apt from the US - I have a Retirement visa. I am retired from the Marine Corps and have a little memento area of things USMC. One is a working .45 cal Vietnam tribute pistol mfgr by Colt. A very handsome piece, gold plated, etched in USMC lore. I've never fired nor do I intend to - it sits in its display box. So, can I get permission to have this piece in my home?

[magicpencil88]

Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I have a question. An AR-15 upper receiver isn't considered a weapon, only the lower receiver is. However if I were to fly in to Thailand from USA would I be able to bring an AR-15 upper receiver? What about magazines?

[PingManDan]

There is a downtown section in BKK, that about 3-4 blocks is nothing but gun shops

[magicpencil88]

I'm not understanding. Is that a yes? Maybe?

[crazygreg44]

WW, might I ask what do you do during the week when you are not warrioring, presumably?

Regards

WW probably is molesting cows via the backdoor , when he is not out mutilating them on his picnics . . .

[magicpencil88]

what weapons do they sell in the gun shops? Are we talking fully auto weapons?

[mstribling]

what weapons do they sell in the gun shops? Are we talking fully auto weapons?

No

[JimsKnight]

The data above in my post as I noted came from a 2005 document submitted to the UN, focused on illegal trading {extraterritorial} for which I didn't have a non-subscription link for yesterday, however I rummaged through the UN sites and found this public link to it. It has the edifying title of National Report of the Kingdom of Thailand on the Implementation of the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, July 2005.

Regards

I think the rules for getting a firearm in Bangkok are stricter than out in the provinces...

[Richb2004v2]

I know I shouldn't, but.

for mum and sis.

Is that one and the same person?

[CanInBKK]

Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I have a question. An AR-15 upper receiver isn't considered a weapon, only the lower receiver is. However if I were to fly in to Thailand from USA would I be able to bring an AR-15 upper receiver? What about magazines?

I'm only an enthusiast (or was, back when I had an AR-15, Elite 2, and 1911 in Canada) and not an expert but logic would probably dictate that the answer is "no". The reason being that you would be quite hard up to answer the question of "why". When you get stopped at swampydoom and asked why you are bringing in an upper, there's no good reason except to assemble it with a lower that entered the country through possibly illegal means. With the cost of doing things the "right way" I just plain gave up on IPSC and IDPA shooting here (despite the local popularity).

[magicpencil88]

But what about upper receivers and magazines?

[KRS1]

Thaksin changed the gun laws and tried to ban them, during hos plot to take over the military

You use to be able to have 100k baht in the bank and you could own a gun.

[magicpencil88]

so upper receivers are a negative. I'm guessing magazines would be fine though, right?

[KRS1]

id send it in via fedex and label it as some type of mechanical part , pay a little tax and your done. They wont check the package as long as the paperwork is in order and the shipping charge isn't substantially more than the declared value. <<< the trick

[magicpencil88]

what would I send it to?

[magicpencil88]

I should call up the ambassador and be like, yo I sendin you this not so dangerous upper receiver, you will give it to me when I arrive, do it now!

[oldsailor35]

Easy ! Buy an M 16 from the army, you won't need a licence

[mstribling]

I should call up the ambassador and be like, yo I sendin you this not so dangerous upper receiver, you will give it to me when I arrive, do it now!

That should work.

[submaniac]

But what about upper receivers and magazines?

It would be a mistake to assume that U.S. law and legal definitions are the same as in Thailand. In the UNITED STATES, only the lower receiver is considered a "firearm". In the UNITED STATES you can have every part of a firearm (barrel, upper, magazine, trigger) shipped to you anonymously in the mail EXCEPT the lower receiver. Thailand is not the United States. While the U.S. may consider only the lower receiver to be a firearm, Thailand does not necessarily abide by the "only the lower receiver" is a firearm. I do not know if Thailand considers uppers, or even barrels a 'firearm', but the point to be taken is 'don't assume' it is the same way here.

[KRS1]

what would I send it to?

The conceirge (spelling) at any hotel

[jimmybkk]

I've been giving some thought to home/family protection recently. For a number of reasons I've come to the conclusion that the right choice for me would be a pump action shotgun loaded with those beanbags that you occasionally see law enforcement officers and bounty hunters use on TV.

My questions are:

Do you require a special type of shotgun to fire those beanbags or will any shotgun accommodate a beanbag cartridge/shell (or whatever the correct terminology may be)?

If it is a special type of shotgun that fires them can you buy this type of shotgun in Thailand? If so, where?

Can you buy the beanbag cartridges in Thailand? If so, where?

Seems like there are a lot of people here with a lot of knowledge about guns - I'd be very interested to receive some advice. P.S. I'm not so concerned about the legalities of the situation.

[cheeryble]

I think a "good Christian" would have walked up to the cow and shot at its head at point-blank range. That would have been the kind thing to do, and I think I know the posters on this board well-enough to say that they would do the same. But to use it for grenade target practice... People never cease to amaze me.

Wait a minute....the church always has an answer (for a price). Maybe WW got a dispensation.

[p_brownstone]

You use to be able to have 100k baht in the bank and you could own a gun.

Not true - it has always been difficult for Farang to own guns in Thailand.

{Patrick