Thailand’s Prime Minister has Promised to introduce new gun control laws in the wake of a shooting by a teenager on the outskirts of Bangkok that left eight people dead and 22 injured.

 

The 14-year-old killed his grandparents at the home they shared before travelling to Debsirin School in Nonthaburi, where he was a student. There, he killed five teachers before taking his own life. Later, a student had also died from their injuries.

 

Speaking after the attack, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he is planning to introduce laws that restrict the carrying of firearms in public, with the new legislation only allowing government officials on duty to carry guns.

 

Thailand has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia, with around 10.3 million firearms in civilian possession, around four million of which are believed to be owned illegally. The country has strict gun laws, which punish the illegal possession of arms with up to 10 years in jail, but enforcement of these laws has been an issue.