Phuket shooting range safety under review after Estonian death

[rooster59]

Phuket shooting range safety under review after Estonian death

Kritsada Mueanhawong

Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada vowed to tighten safety procedures at all four of Phuket�s shooting ranges. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: Safety regulations at shooting ranges in Phuket are to be tightened following two deaths at ranges in the province in the past two years.

In March last year, a 21-year-old British man killed himself at Thalang Shooting Range (story here).

This week, 38-year-old Estonian Andres Podra turned a gun on himself at Patong Hill Shooting Range and died from a single shot to the head (story here).

Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada expressed his deep condolences to Mr Podra’s family and vowed to tighten safety procedures at all four of Phuket’s shooting ranges.

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-shooting-range-safety-review-Estonian-death/63406?desktopversion

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-03-12

[LivinginKata]

This is a tricky problem for these shooting range businesses. How are they to know if some customer is suicidal or depressed ? The business just wants to make money ...

[menzies233]

Why make all of the sensible gun enthusiasts suffer because of two people that decided to end their own lives? If the gun range wasn't there, they would have found another way to end it.

As long as they are following safety requirements, then end of story. To all of those against guns, just don't go there.

Maybe close all pharmacies in case some nut job takes an overdose of aspirin.

[KhunBENQ]

You ain't going to stop someone taking themselves out........A shooting range is an easy place to do it...Pay a few baht and have a gun in your hand.......If LOS wants to stop that stuff then they must close the places down.....

No other option.

Where does the report say he was drunk or behaving strange?

Will they require a psychiatrist expertise at check-in?

If a customer does anything erratic or potentially dangerous, such as swinging the firearm about, the customer will be dismissed.”

What scenario does this fit?

If one swings a firearm around I would duck and cover and/or run !!!

Good that this place in the midst of beach road has been closed.

Some 3m from the walkway some arbitrary tourists handle a firearm in a country where I am not even allowed to use an airgun.

[RIJoe]

The answer - Nerf guns and water pistols. Well, maybe not the water pistols during droughts.

[tolsti]

Sensible gun ethusiasts? Are you taking the piss or what? These gun ranges are purely for sleeveless retards to go and do "bang" bang" and act like gangstas.....

[Classic Ray]

I used to be in charge of firearms licensing foran area of the U.K. and we refused licences to lots of people who couldn't prove a legitimate reason for owning one and regularly removed firearms from those no longer fit to possess them either temporarily or permanently, eg domestic or work problems, not securing them, or reckless use. Even then we had disturbing incidents. Madness to allow Joe Soap to walk in off the street to a range and get access to firearms with no checks. Close them down, the only way.

[Shot]

Sensible gun ethusiasts? Are you taking the piss or what? These gun ranges are purely for sleeveless retards to go and do "bang" bang" and act like gangstas.....

True target shooters don't go to these places, for the reason you described. Sleeveless retards for the bang, bang.

[menzies233]

I've used the range near Mae Rim in Chiang Mai and found the staff and the customers there to be professional and VERY safety conscious. There were definitely no shirtless nutters going "Bang"! They even restrict the calibre of weapon depending on age / size etc. There is an attendant with each shooter that stands no more than 2 feet from your side, they check the guns, check the rounds and pay very close attention to you when you are firing.

I really see no issue if people want to try and use a gun in a controlled environment, it is no more lethal than a motorbike or a car in the wrong hands.