Thailand’s Interior Ministry tightens gun controls

The Thailand Ministry of Interior has agreed to impose a set of measures to control the importation, trade and ownership of blank-firing and BB guns, additional controls on the issuance of gun permits and a ban on youths under 20.

The measures, specifically for blank-firing and BB guns, are in response to the shootings at the Siam Paragon shopping mall on Tuesday, in which the suspected shooter, a 14-year-old boy, used a modified blank-firing gun, bought online from a seller to indiscriminately shoot shoppers, killing two people.

Interior Minister stated that he held discussions with relevant agencies about implementing short-term and long-term measures to control these weapons, preventing their illegal modification to fire live ammunition.