Baffling statistics fail to hide Thailand's worrying gun crime problem

[webfact]

Does Thailand have a gun problem? Boasts highest rate of gun-related deaths in Asia
Staff Writer



BANGKOK: -- Data from the University of Washington shows that Thailand has the highest rate of gun-related deaths out of ten countries in Asia, reports Channel News Asia, confirming what many have suspected for some time: the Kingdom may just have a gun problem on its hands.

These statistics are particularly galling when one considers the recent fatal shootings that have befallen Thailand – just this past Valentine’s Day, a man shot and killed himself and his lover at a Nonthaburi department store, for instance.

Deaths from shooting in Thailand clocked in at 7.48 fatalities per 100,000 people in 2013 – a figure 50 percent higher than the Philippines, who were the next country in the ratings, and double the rate seen in the US.

For a full analysis of these statistics, see Asian Correspondent as they highlight the discrepancies and gaps.

Regardless of the statistical details, however, it’s clear that violent gun crime is prevalent in the Kingdom even if we just go by newspaper headlines alone. But why?

Gun ownership in Thailand is widespread with over six million registered guns found in the Kingdom. In a country with a population of 67 million, that’s an ownership rate of around one in ten. Gunpolicy.org believe the actual figure to be closer to 10 million guns, if illegal ownership is to be taken into the equation.

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/does-thailand-have-a-gun-problem-boasts-highest-rate-of-gun-related-deaths-in-asia/


-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-02-19

[Just1Voice]

So, here is little Thailand, with a population about one-fifth of the U.S. (68,078,215 vs 323,258,860), but with double the murder rate. Gun problem?

[GeorgesAbitbol]

It's not about gun control.

Although many are quick to jump on that bandwagon and are missing the point.

It's about self-control and the childlike mentality that is a cancer on this nation: Losing Face.

"The high numbers of homicides in Thailand, it was reported, was often due to “loss of face and businesses disputes”, which recent deaths would appear to confirm."

"What may make Thailand stand-out however is that so many murders we hear about ... happen over what most people would consider trivial matters, mostly concerning ‘loss of face’."

“You see in Thailand there’s no 1, 2, 3,” he said. “There’s only a 3. In some countries you have a shouting match, then you have a fight and sometimes it goes to murder.

Here, you can get into an argument and the next thing you know you have been shot.” People don’t like losing face, he said, and on top of that it’s easy to acquire a firearm."

"As has been reported, losing face seems to bear much of the responsibility for murders in Thailand, perhaps more so than in other countries where ‘face’ is not deemed quite as important."

No it is not.

Human nature cannot prevent the people who may turn crazy easily to do so.

Gun control just limit the casualties

(But it is a good argument for the NRA )

Gun control doesn't limit any casualties...

Swedens murder rate is about 90 each year* and 30-35% of them are with guns and just 1-2 each year is committed with a legal gun, rest are with illegal guns.

*since 2005 but there was peak of 111 murders in 2007.

You say it doesn t prevent casualties, however your exemple show the exact opposite.

Gun control means having less guns, no second hand selling without state control.

Less guns in circulation means less guns available to buy legally or on the black market, with higher price when the avaibility is poor.

So thank you for your help to prove my point

[terryp]

it has a massive gun problem, as most people including expats can't own them,i would be first in line if this ever changed.

[clockman]

And a so called peaceful Buddhist country!

[clockman]

Another hub, alongside with road deaths. They are the best!

[Lupatria]

Another master piece of "Thai journalism" to headline with a stupid question like this!

[soalbundy]

one buys a gun which is only designed to kill people, you use it to shoot and kill someone,where's the problem?

[Dogbreath]

Mix emotional immaturity, the concept of face and loss of same, and possibly alcohol with a gun present. It's like a powder keg waiting to go off.

It's one of the reasons I try to be polite to Thais at all times no matter their rude or obnoxious behavior. Nobody wears a sign around their neck that says "I wanna kill somebody" , but it happens every day in LOS. The slightest offense to the wrong person and you may end up on the wrong end of a gun.

So-called gun control only takes weapons from law-abiding citizens. The criminals don't care about the law and will always find guns when needed for their nefarious activities, including taking advantage of the newly unarmed citizen. Violent crime rates shot up in the UK and Australia after gun control was initiated.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Silly question - major gun problem - even local 'councillors' suffer drive-by shootings !

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/896309-orbortor-council-head-survives-drive-by-shooting-in-krabi/?utm_source=newsletter-20160219-1412&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

[Yann55]

An in the end we must remember guns don't kill people,people kill people,the gun is just the tool they use.

There is an adjective that describes perfectly the spirit of this worn out argument you just used : Jesuistic.

[No1inbangkok]

You can always spot the American in a gun control argument

[njhorn2000]

one buys a gun which is only designed to kill people, you use it to shoot and kill someone,where's the problem?

I thought they were designed as a better way of putting food on the table. Bow and arrow was good, but .243 better..

[sawadee1947]

I think Thailand got the same problem as US. Depends on the society what they are making out of it. Rambos need guns.....

[gregk0543]

But they dont in Thailand have a constitutional right to bear arms and all that jive do they?

So that means it can be fixed easier than in USA when the time comes and they want to.

[BookMan]

Lot s of countries have this worrying trend happening, Australia has gun control , that hasn't stopped gun related crime and murder on a weekly basis , it possibly only slows down the effect, there is a high degree of knifings being used as a weapon of choice in OZ also, so , you eliminate one another comes along.....................

Yet we haven't had any outbreaks of mass stabbings...

Mass shootings also gone since gun control was introduced

[Dap]

You can always spot the American in a gun control argument

Just how is it you can tell?

I'm an American and I couldn't spot him/her

[Dap]

Lot s of countries have this worrying trend happening, Australia has gun control , that hasn't stopped gun related crime and murder on a weekly basis , it possibly only slows down the effect, there is a high degree of knifings being used as a weapon of choice in OZ also, so , you eliminate one another comes along.....................

Yet we haven't had any outbreaks of mass stabbings...

Mass shootings also gone since gun control was introduced

China seems to get its fair share of "mass" stabbings.

[simonuk]

Lets something clear we are not taking about guns, we are talking about weapons. There is a big difference. If any of you have seen the movie "Full Metal Jacket" you would understand.

In fact, we are talking about culture.

We have evidence that humans are able to live in much greater harmony than is found in Thailand. Random examples: Scandinavia, Japan, Korea, Singapore

We must identify why some societies fare much better than others.

Many issues in Thai culture and society that must be addressed.

Have you ever noticed that people here just cannot disagree? They do not know how to disagree and detach their ideas of disagreement with a particular concept or decision from the person or people involved. Hence 100 years of chaotic politics (among the most chaotic in the world).

They must address their cultural shortcomings which I imagine will be incredibly painful for them. Redefining the Thainess they are so permanently proud of.

This is an excellent post!

[Asheron]

It's not about gun control.

Although many are quick to jump on that bandwagon and are missing the point.

It's about self-control and the childlike mentality that is a cancer on this nation: Losing Face.

"The high numbers of homicides in Thailand, it was reported, was often due to “loss of face and businesses disputes”, which recent deaths would appear to confirm."

"What may make Thailand stand-out however is that so many murders we hear about ... happen over what most people would consider trivial matters, mostly concerning ‘loss of face’."

“You see in Thailand there’s no 1, 2, 3,” he said. “There’s only a 3. In some countries you have a shouting match, then you have a fight and sometimes it goes to murder.

Here, you can get into an argument and the next thing you know you have been shot.” People don’t like losing face, he said, and on top of that it’s easy to acquire a firearm."

"As has been reported, losing face seems to bear much of the responsibility for murders in Thailand, perhaps more so than in other countries where ‘face’ is not deemed quite as important."

No it is not.

Human nature cannot prevent the people who may turn crazy easily to do so.

Gun control just limit the casualties

(But it is a good argument for the NRA )

Gun control doesn't limit any casualties...

Swedens murder rate is about 90 each year* and 30-35% of them are with guns and just 1-2 each year is committed with a legal gun, rest are with illegal guns.

*since 2005 but there was peak of 111 murders in 2007.

You say it doesn t prevent casualties, however your exemple show the exact opposite.

Gun control means having less guns, no second hand selling without state control.

Less guns in circulation means less guns available to buy legally or on the black market, with higher price when the avaibility is poor.

So thank you for your help to prove my point

Gun control means only one thing: making it harder to get a legal gun.

If i wanted to have an illegal gun in Sweden i could have one in my hand within a day and i don't even know "shady people".

So no, i didn't prove your point. I just proved my point that gun control doesn't combate gun crime as almost all the gun crime is done with illegal guns.

[Time Traveller]

one buys a gun which is only designed to kill people, you use it to shoot and kill someone,where's the problem?

No. Guns are designed to fire projectiles. It's the person that chooses to point the gun at a target or a person. Much like cars

[Time Traveller]

You can always spot the American in a gun control argument

And those who are jealous of their freedoms

[connda]

Does Thailand have a gun problem? Boasts highest rate of gun-related deaths in Asia

Staff Writer

BANGKOK: -- Data from the University of Washington shows that Thailand has the highest rate of gun-related deaths out of ten countries in Asia, reports Channel News Asia, confirming what many have suspected for some time: the Kingdom may just have a gun problem on its hands.

These statistics are particularly galling when one considers the recent fatal shootings that have befallen Thailand – just this past Valentine’s Day, a man shot and killed himself and his lover at a Nonthaburi department store, for instance.

Deaths from shooting in Thailand clocked in at 7.48 fatalities per 100,000 people in 2013 – a figure 50 percent higher than the Philippines, who were the next country in the ratings, and double the rate seen in the US.

For a full analysis of these statistics, see Asian Correspondent as they highlight the discrepancies and gaps.

Regardless of the statistical details, however, it’s clear that violent gun crime is prevalent in the Kingdom even if we just go by newspaper headlines alone. But why?

Gun ownership in Thailand is widespread with over six million registered guns found in the Kingdom. In a country with a population of 67 million, that’s an ownership rate of around one in ten. Gunpolicy.org believe the actual figure to be closer to 10 million guns, if illegal ownership is to be taken into the equation.

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/does-thailand-have-a-gun-problem-boasts-highest-rate-of-gun-related-deaths-in-asia/

-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-02-19

Who put the misleading picture up on this article? Those weapons are illegal to own here. The best you can buy is a .22 LR 'assault' look-alike. You ain't buying an AR-15, AK-47 Kalashnikov, etc, here. If I'm wrong, correct me, and source it.

Other than that, Syria has a gun problem. Sudan had a gun problem. Afghanistan has a gun problem. DR Congo has a gun problem. Iraq has a gun problem. Turkey has a gun problem.

Thailand does not.

Edited February 19, 2016 by connda

[thrilled]

It's not the gun that's the problem,it's the person.In the US they have what they call gun free zones.What that means is if you don't break the law you can't have A gun in that zone.If your A bad person then that's the place for you to go and do whatever you want to

Another person,cause they don't have A gun to stop you.

If you outlaw guns,only the bad man will have guns.The law abiding citizen will be easy prey no matter what country you live in.

[smotherb]

Well, since Syria and Iraq are both in Asia, I somehow doubt Thailand has the highest rate of gun-related deaths in Asia. However, I like it, gives me one more reason to complain about Thailand; which, of course, unsettles so many TV posters.

[John1012]

As other posters have said, it's not a gun problem, it's a people problem. Thailand is broken, too much institutionalised corruption, too little decent moral education,too much 'face', not enough humility to recognise right from wrong. Too little respect for law, based on the level of corruption and social position, which demeans the general respect for law. I still love the country and a lot of it's people but I am aware of it's flaws and I have developed a high level of self control and patience. I am like the 3 monkeys, as I am a farang my only option, if I don't like it,is to leave, and I do not want to do that.

[Rykbanlor]

It's not the gun that's the problem,it's the person.In the US they have what they call gun free zones.What that means is if you don't break the law you can't have A gun in that zone.If your A bad person then that's the place for you to go and do whatever you want to

Another person,cause they don't have A gun to stop you.

If you outlaw guns,only the bad man will have guns.The law abiding citizen will be easy prey no matter what country you live in.

You get your arguements from Fox news?

[Rykbanlor]

Gun control means only one thing: making it harder to get a legal gun.

If i wanted to have an illegal gun in Sweden i could have one in my hand within a day and i don't even know "shady people".

So no, i didn't prove your point. I just proved my point that gun control doesn't combate gun crime as almost all the gun crime is done with illegal guns.

Most of the recent mass shootings in the USA were carried out with legally obtained weapons.

[Rykbanlor]

As other posters have said, it's not a gun problem, it's a people problem. Thailand is broken, too much institutionalised corruption, too little decent moral education,too much 'face', not enough humility to recognise right from wrong. Too little respect for law, based on the level of corruption and social position, which demeans the general respect for law. I still love the country and a lot of it's people but I am aware of it's flaws and I have developed a high level of self control and patience. I am like the 3 monkeys, as I am a farang my only option, if I don't like it,is to leave, and I do not want to do that.

Whilst agreeing with almost every point you made, not admitting that guns are still inherently problematic regardless of the human input, detracts slightly from your otherwise salient post.

[Roomuck]

The Thai bashers are having a field day on this one.

Blaming Thai society, blah, blah,blah, not real Buddhists etc.

While ignoring that the figures are skewed, because of the ongoing "war" in the three most southern provinces, who are not "typically Thai".

The way the bashers are carrying on you would expect there would be random mass shootings of innocent people like in the civilized? USA, which just is not the case.