Around 11:00 AM local time on August 10, a shooting occurred inside the office building of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization in Thailand, leaving the organization’s chairman, Thongchai, with a gunshot wound to the head.
A province is Thailand’s first-level administrative division, equivalent to a provincial-level administrative region in China. The Provincial Administrative Organization is a core local self-governance body, with the chairman serving as its highest administrative executive. Thongchai is currently in serious condition, and his personal driver was also injured in the incident. Both have been rushed to the hospital for treatment.
According to police reports, the suspect is a former Member of Parliament for Nonthaburi Province. He surrendered to authorities after the incident, and the case remains under investigation.
Nonthaburi Province sits right next to the capital Bangkok. While everyday commuting and general sightseeing there are considered relatively safe overall, there are localized risks such as theft. Just last month, local police dismantled a gray-capital gang hiding inside a hotel, seizing drugs, gambling equipment, and a significant amount of cash.
Thailand has seen multiple shootings resulting in heavy casualties recently. The government is planning to propose a new gun control measure to restrict public carrying of firearms. Relevant authorities must tighten oversight of gun ownership—except for official duties, neither government officials nor ordinary citizens should be allowed to bring guns into public spaces.
Earlier on August 10, some schools in central Bangkok ramped up security measures, including installing metal detectors for screening.
Just last Friday, a 14-year-old student at “Debsirin Nonthaburi” secondary school in Nonthaburi killed his grandparents at home before heading to campus and opening fire, leaving 9 people dead and 14 hospitalized. The deadly shooting took place on August 7.
The shooter had been living with his grandparents. On the day of the incident, he went to school as usual in the morning and started firing around 10 AM. The handgun used belonged legally to his grandfather. The likely motive was academic pressure—his grandmother, a former teacher, had been extremely strict about his studies.
In this country where over 90% of the population is Buddhist, military culture runs just as deep. Thailand has seen numerous military coups throughout history, with the military often dominating politics. Conservative institutions revere military and law enforcement values. Guns are seen as symbols of wealth and privilege. Cases where ordinary people turn to gunfire to settle disputes frequently grab headlines, especially in rural areas.
According to 2017 data from the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey (SAS), Thailand has over 10.3 million civilian firearms—roughly 15 guns per 100 people. That puts the country 13th globally and first in ASEAN. Of those 10.3 million civilian guns, around 4 million are unregistered illegal firearms.
Statistics from the University of Washington also show Thailand ranks second in Southeast Asia for gun homicides, trailing only the Philippines.
In reality, Thailand’s gun laws are relatively strict—illegal possession can carry up to 10 years in prison and fines up to 20,000 baht. Firearms can only be purchased from a limited number of licensed dealers, who also face annual quotas on how many guns and rounds they can sell.
On top of that, a thriving black market for guns exists. Along the Thai-Myanmar and Thai-Cambodia borders, underground trading hubs funnel weapons from conflict-ridden neighboring regions into the country. Meanwhile, some government officials and military police exploit their positions to buy guns at low prices and resell them for profit.