Thai PM Prayut plans stricter gun laws after shooting

Thailand’s prime minister has pledged to tighten gun laws after a 14-year-old boy shot dead eight people at a school near Bangkok before killing himself.

Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday he will introduce new rules that restrict who can carry firearms in public, limiting gun use to government officials on duty. The massacre at Debsirin School in Nonthaburi province began early Friday when the teenager killed his grandparents at their home. He then boarded a school bus with the gun and dozens of bullets, attended two classes, and opened fire around 10 a.m., killing five teachers and two school staff before shooting himself.

Police say the weapon—a legally registered pistol belonging to the boy’s grandfather—was found in the teen’s backpack. The weapon showed signs of having been searched for in the grandfather’s bedroom, according to Police Colonel Thadsakorn Konthong. Thailand has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia, with about 10.3 million firearms in private hands, roughly four million of which are unregistered. While the country has strict laws against illegal possession, enforcement remains weak. The government has previously tried to curb gun access, including a temporary ban on new licenses and limits on imports during Anutin’s time as interior minister.

The attack has shocked the nation and reignited debate over gun control. Anutin described the shooting as inexcusable, saying, “How can this happen in our country?” The boy’s grandparents were each killed with a single gunshot to the head before dawn. He then calmly attended classes before opening fire on the sixth floor, killing three teachers. He walked down the stairs and shot the school’s deputy director and secretary as they went to investigate. At least 22 others were injured. The tragedy adds pressure on the government to act, but past attempts to tighten laws have faced resistance from gun owners and political allies.