BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday suspended the issuance of permits to buy firearms and said existing licences would be reviewed, days after a 14-year-old gunman killed nine people in a school shooting in Nonthaburi.

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Mr Anutin directed Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt to expedite a new gun control law with stronger controls and significantly harsher penalties, with a new bill to be proposed within 60 days . Police have been ordered to stop renewing permits enabling people to buy firearms, while the Interior Ministry and Royal Thai Police have been instructed to suspend renewals of Por 3 (purchase permits), Por 4 (possession and use permits), and Por 12 (carry permits) until the cabinet decides otherwise, government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said.

Registered firearms must be kept at home and cannot be carried in public, Mr Anutin said, reiterating existing law. He warned people not to believe claims that guns could be carried for self-defence, saying firearms often end up harming their owners. The new legislation will require illegal firearms to be surrendered to the state within a specified period, with temporary exemption from punishment for those who comply.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul suspended firearm purchase licences and ordered a review of existing permits after a 14-year-old gunman killed nine people in a school attack outside Bangkok. Police were instructed to stop renewing permits that allow people to buy… pic.twitter.com/iBXw67Zk4k

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The cabinet also approved long-term measures, including introducing real-time electronic licensing and transaction records linked to Customs and Revenue departments, recording firearm identities, tightening controls on dealers, and increasing penalties. Possession licences would require renewal every three years, and dealers and shooting ranges would have to reconcile sales against inventory daily . Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong has proposed new school safety measures, including screening everyone who enters education premises for illegal objects and weapons.

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Last week, a teenage student killed six people and himself at Debsirin Nonthaburi School after fatally shooting his grandparents in the country’s worst mass killing in nearly four years. The 9mm handgun used in the attack was legally registered to the 14-year-old gunman’s grandfather. Thailand has an estimated 10.3 million firearms in civilian possession, equating to around 15 guns per 100 residents, the highest rate in the region.

-Thailand News (TN)