Where to buy guns & do I need a permit for my Thai wife?

[chrisinth]

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And al the people claiming Thailand is so safe ahummm
Try living a low profile life and buy a few rottweilers ,i hope some of you gun lovers never have any burglars but just in case you shoot one and his family has higher connections than you i think you can shuv al the permits and what little legal rights you have as a foreigner in Thailand up your @rse.

But surely the same could be said if one of your rotties rips the throat out of said burglar? You would still have to deal with 'the family and higher connections'.

With that attitude, why not forget about offensive/defensive security altogether?

As for Thailand being safe, I would agree that in general it is quite safe (certainly a lot safer than where I came from IMHO), but as with everywhere in the world there are circumstances where it can be different. Not everyone needs protection, but some feel that they may need it due to these circumstances, due to location of where they are living, threats leveled against them or their family, etc, etc.

[Arkady]

Went to Burapha Road where the Old Siam Plaza is recently after not going for over 10 years. I was surprised to see that new S&W .38 +P revolvers are now around B110,000 whereas they were B40,000 and up last time I looked. I didn't dare ask the price of 9mm and .45 semi-autos which used to be B80,000 plus. I was taken by a second hand late 70s vintage S&W Combat Masterpiece K frame Model 15 .38 special revolver with blued finish in good condition which was selling for B75,000. For Thailand that is a bargain, although it would go for closer to US$600 in the US, not much less a new S&W .38 +P revolver of similar size, as Model 15s in good condition are snapped up there. But I don't live in the US and have no chance to bu at that price. Finally I bit the bullet (LOL) and put a deposit on the Model 15. I used to be crazy about semi-autos and have never had a revolver. The Model 15 can shoot .38 +P, even though that is not stamped on the barrel and not readily available in Thailand at the moment. S&W admits that revolvers made since the 50s can shoot +P which is only 15-20% more powerful than .38 special. In fact .38 +P is about the same spec as .38 special used to be until the 70s when the ammo manufacturers started to dumb down their loads to avoid lawsuits due to people firing it in ancient, poorly maintained .38s that could blow up under the pressure.

I would rather have the gun in my own name, as I don't want to take the risk of getting stopped taking a gun to the range in the wife's name, if she is not with me, although she enjoys shooting too. If they turn me down, I can get Mrs Arkady to apply instead. The gun store owner seemed to think I had a good chance of getting the permit as I have permanent residence and a job and submitted a huge amount of documentation. A potential problem is already having several permits but they thought that having already been approved in the past for a .45 would count in my favour, since a higher level of scrutiny is required for .45s and .357 magnums which the police think are too much firepower for most people. I seem to remember it taking a lot longer to get the permit for the .45 and that I needed to submit a membership card for an army shooting club that I had never actually been to.

[ATF]

Arkady the whole gun permit application process is at a virtual standstill at the moment due to the political situation.

I was offered a ten year old S&W .38 Special +P Stainless for 85k in 85% condition with all the papers about two weeks ago. These prices are crazy.

I'd go for a 9mm though much more powerful than a .38 +P and you can also get +P and +P+ ammo for it, but you should only use that ammo defensively or it'll wear out you semi-auto.

Why don't you get a shotgun they start at only 32k.

[Arkady]

Arkady the whole gun permit application process is at a virtual standstill at the moment due to the political situation.

I was offered a ten year old S&W .38 Special +P Stainless for 85k in 85% condition with all the papers about two weeks ago. These prices are crazy.

I'd go for a 9mm though much more powerful than a .38 +P and you can also get +P and +P+ ammo for it, but you should only use that ammo defensively or it'll wear out you semi-auto.

Why don't you get a shotgun they start at only 32k.

You may be right about that but of course the gun store owners are happy to get the deposits. Over a month has gone by since I handed in my paperwork but I was warned that applications by foreigners can take two or three months to process these days, even without a freeze on. Soon we will have a new interior minister who will almost certainly be a military man. Unlike the police, who want the public to arm themselves and not bother the police, the army tend to like the idea of being the only ones with guns.

The item in question bears a distinct resemblance to your avatar. Yes, a shotgun is more ideal for home defence but I don't know of any ranges I can practice with a pump in Bkk. Normally they only allow handguns and .22 rifles. Do you know of any? I do have an over and under trap gun but its not practical for home defence and the clay pigeon range at Ramkhamhaeng is frequented by very serious trap and skeet shooters which is a bit off putting if you are a gentleman shooter and not in the Olympic league. They certainly don't allow pumps there or even side by sides. I don't live in a secluded area or have any particularly fears about home safety and mainly like to do target shooting but it struck me as silly to have a number of guns but none suitable for home defence without regular maintenance and a revolver seemed like a reasonable compromise that would also be fun to take to the range sometimes. I already have a 9mm, a .380 and a .45, all semi autos that require maintenance and are likely to jam even with it. Probably need to find exactly what ammo is suitable for each but the variety is not available in Thailand. For Thailand B85k for a .38 +P in good condition, including the paperwork which costs an extra B5k, is an OK deal, even though it is several times the US price. New ones in Bkk start at B110k excluding the paperwork.

[ATF]

Arkady the whole gun permit application process is at a virtual standstill at the moment due to the political situation.

I was offered a ten year old S&W .38 Special +P Stainless for 85k in 85% condition with all the papers about two weeks ago. These prices are crazy.

I'd go for a 9mm though much more powerful than a .38 +P and you can also get +P and +P+ ammo for it, but you should only use that ammo defensively or it'll wear out you semi-auto.

Why don't you get a shotgun they start at only 32k.

You may be right about that but of course the gun store owners are happy to get the deposits. Over a month has gone by since I handed in my paperwork but I was warned that applications by foreigners can take two or three months to process these days, even without a freeze on. Soon we will have a new interior minister who will almost certainly be a military man. Unlike the police, who want the public to arm themselves and not bother the police, the army tend to like the idea of being the only ones with guns.

The item in question bears a distinct resemblance to your avatar. Yes, a shotgun is more ideal for home defence but I don't know of any ranges I can practice with a pump in Bkk. Normally they only allow handguns and .22 rifles. Do you know of any? I do have an over and under trap gun but its not practical for home defence and the clay pigeon range at Ramkhamhaeng is frequented by very serious trap and skeet shooters which is a bit off putting if you are a gentleman shooter and not in the Olympic league. They certainly don't allow pumps there or even side by sides. I don't live in a secluded area or have any particularly fears about home safety and mainly like to do target shooting but it struck me as silly to have a number of guns but none suitable for home defence without regular maintenance and a revolver seemed like a reasonable compromise that would also be fun to take to the range sometimes. I already have a 9mm, a .380 and a .45, all semi autos that require maintenance and are likely to jam even with it. Probably need to find exactly what ammo is suitable for each but the variety is not available in Thailand. For Thailand B85k for a .38 +P in good condition, including the paperwork which costs an extra B5k, is an OK deal, even though it is several times the US price. New ones in Bkk start at B110k excluding the paperwork.

I don't know the ranges well in BKK but in Pattaya you can use a shotgun at all of them. Any I've been too anyway. I don't know why there would be a restriction in any BKK ranges.

You seem to experience jamming problems with semi-autos. There are usually a few reasons for this. Firstly you have not fired the gun enough. You need to fire at least a few thousand rounds before it's broken in. Secondly and I am not patronizing you. Learn how to clear a jam. Clearing should only take you a few seconds but learn how to do it properly. Thirdly find out what ammo your semi likes. This is very important. It's no good shooting hundreds of range rounds and only keeping your expensive ammo for self defense. All ammo will target and feed differently.

Lastly I would say you have made the classic error of buying guns with different calibers. It's better to have 5000 rounds of 9mm and two identical 9mm pistols than an assortment of different makes and calibers unless you are a collector of course.

If you're in Pattaya you can try out my 870.

[Star Dust]

There once was a Bazooka for sale near Udon

[impulse]

There once was a Bazooka for sale near Udon

What's the rest of the limerick?

There once was a lady from Niger....

[Arkady]

I picked up my new second hand S&W Combat Masterpiece Model K-15 .38 special yesterday with Por 4 license in my own name yesterday. The whole process took exactly two months from sumbission of documents. The license was dated a month ago but it somehow took another month for it to get to the gun store which arranged everything for me. There were no requests for more information or more documentation from the Interior Ministry or any objection that I already hold 4 other licenses and the Por 4 was issued immediately, whereas you usually get a Por 3 first, which is a temporarary license allowing you to pick up the gun, and have to wait another month or so for the lifetime Por 4 license. Apparently there is no limit to the amount of ammunition you can buy and own with a Por 4 but with a Por 3 you are only entitled to have 12 rounds.

Seems like it was business as usual during in the post coup martial law period for the Interior Ministry's gun licensing section. Maybe the new minister will change things but I doubt it. Most red shirt gun men are unlikely to be in regular employment to qualify for a license and would rather use unlicensed guns anyway. So I guess it makes no difference to the licensing process which seems unchanged from when the police used to do it at Lardprao. Another gun store owner had said it was a very long drawn out and tough process for a foreigner to get a license which a special committee meeting needed to approve it but I saw no evidence that was the case. I have PR, which must help, but the regulations or guidelines don't specify this for foreigners, although they do want to see evidence that you have been in Thailand for some time and likely to stay on long-term, if you don't have PR. Thai family and steady job should help, if anyone is interested.

Please bear in mind that I am talking about applications in Bangkok. Governors of other provinces are free to set their own rules which can be very different. Nonthaburi is apparently tough even for Thais and usually only allows one permit per person. The Phuket governor some years ago issued a total prohibition on permits for foreigners. You would need to ask gun store owners in your province what the form is.

[opalred]

are you people on drugs or sell this is not usa or where they the gun make little peker people feel big

[Arkady]

are you people on drugs or sell this is not usa or where they the gun make little peker people feel big

The OP's topic was Where to buy guns & do I need a permit for my Thai wife? Gun ownership is legal in Thailand and TV is a forum for people to ask questions and get answers on legitimate activities in Thailand. I don't like motor cycles, jet skis, pitbulls, cigarettes or tatoos which are also all dangerous and may be used to boost egos but they are all legal in Thailand and I don't dispute the right of members to discuss them here. If you are only interested in making illiterate comments, I would suggest you go troll elsewhere.

[opalred]

are you people for real a gun like what you mention growup i grew out of them like everyone 50yrs ago buy some viagra and pull own handgun

[zeichen]

"buy some viagra and pull own handgun"

when that becomes and olympic sport you might win the gold.

The OP stated 4 pages back that he can't get one anyway because his wife said no. Why encourage him to get in trouble.

I think as other posters stated going to a range which is expensive might be the best bet for occasional sport. I have never been a fan of hand guns but I love skeet shooting, and black powder.

My dad is a member of a cowboy gun club where they dress up in period costumes and have shooting contests with single action black powder pistols and shotguns.

[3NUMBAS]

any pneumatic rifles and pistols seen ?you can ramp up the footLbs to make em as lethal as you require . a Daystate 303 at 100 ftlbs is plenty powerfull ,and slugs are cheap .

with silencer pretty quiet too.

yanks are self building air pistols running at 200 with a .5 slug

[Pundi6446]

yammorat has the best selection although i heard they recently had banned high power rifles

or rifles with scopes or something because of the risk of snipers shooting people from a good distance away

and being hard to catch

Just looked up that name, "Yammorat" in goggle & came up with nothing other than my post. Be appreciated if you could be more specific.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

its bangkoks "chinatown" district (i probably spelled it wrong )

there is gunshops next door to each other though

once your there ,you cant miss them

Yes been there, there is about 3 blocks of nothing but guns, all run by Thai-Indians, plus open air market, and street vendors selling gun related accessories.

[hawker9000]

are you people on drugs or sell this is not usa or where they the gun make little peker people feel big

An interesting take on Rule #9:

9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[Arkady]

yammorat has the best selection although i heard they recently had banned high power rifles

or rifles with scopes or something because of the risk of snipers shooting people from a good distance away

and being hard to catch

Just looked up that name, "Yammorat" in goggle & came up with nothing other than my post. Be appreciated if you could be more specific.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

its bangkoks "chinatown" district (i probably spelled it wrong )

there is gunshops next door to each other though

once your there ,you cant miss them

Yes been there, there is about 3 blocks of nothing but guns, all run by Thai-Indians, plus open air market, and street vendors selling gun related accessories.

There are some Thai-Indian owned gun stores in the Burapha Road area (around The Old Siam Centre) but most are actually owned and run by Thai-Chinese.

[mrtoad]

are you people for real a gun like what you mention growup i grew out of them like everyone 50yrs ago buy some viagra and pull own handgun

Yeah,I am sure you pull your own everyday. How are the blisters?

[Arkady]

Of course .. Thailand is not like the US where ANYONE can just walk into a gun store (or a Walmart) and buy a gun. If it were we would have massacres every few months (like they do in the US); we would have school children stealing their dad's gun (an AK47 dad bought at Big C, which was shelved near the badminton rackets) going into the Columthai high school and mowing down 20 or 40 of their class mates..

so i'm afraid your wife will not be able to own a gun for you..palees people- just use the tourist shooting ranges and rent one, owning one is just asking for trouble, like what if you gun is stolen..it'll be on you.. its nice to have your own stuff, your own golf clubs, your own Harley, your own pizza oven.. but keep the weapons of self-destruction at the shop and you won't regret..

Having a gun stolen is certainly not something you want to happen but actually it is quite easy to sort out in Thailand. You just file a police report and take that along to the licensing office and they cancel your permit. I had this misfortune when my Anschutz .22 rifle was stolen from (or by) the repair shop. Seemed to be an every day event for the police at the local cop shop and at the licensing office.

[Thongkorn]

If your Thai wife is employed by the Thai government (Like mine) . She can apply for a firearms licence and get it approved with apparently no problems.

My wife use to work for the Thai police as a small arms Instructor, Teaching Thai police how to shoot all hand guns, She has to have clearance from the police, to get a Gun So i think its not that easy

[opalred]

why why ? would any right minded person wonnt to buy hand gun in los to shoot wild animals for food? impress young wife? or show to bar ladys i have gun boom boom

[rijb]

Maybe they could put you out of your misery...

[opalred]

now we know why they have guns they speak

[Time Traveller]

why why ? would any right minded person wonnt to buy hand gun in los to shoot wild animals for food? impress young wife? or show to bar ladys i have gun boom boom

Because wild animals - unlike Thai farmed animals - are not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics or fed solely on a diet of animal feces like most farmed fish.

[Arkady]

why why ? would any right minded person wonnt to buy hand gun in los to shoot wild animals for food? impress young wife? or show to bar ladys i have gun boom boom

Because wild animals - unlike Thai farmed animals - are not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics or fed solely on a diet of animal feces like most farmed fish.

Hunting is illegal in Thailand, although you will sometimes see people carrying shotguns around upcountry and shooting at birds. These are probably people with unlicensed guns or with a Por 4 license allowing them to keep in the home only. Don't follow suit.

[CLW]

My question is relating to this post. Are there any sport shooting clubs or shooting ranges in Bangkok?

In my home country I enjoyed shooting air pressure rifle and .22 small caliber rifle in a sports shooting club.