Firearms in Thailand

Firearms in Thailand refers to the number and types of firearms in the country in civilian (unofficial) hands and the laws and societal norms that govern their possession and use.

About one in ten people in Thailand legally own a gun. There are more than six million registered guns in a country with a population of 66.7 million.[1] Small Arms Survey estimates that the total number of guns, both licit and illicit, held by Thai civilians in 2017 is 10,300,000,[2] equating to 15.1 firearms per 100 inhabitants. Comparable figures for the other ASEAN nations are Cambodia, 4.5 per 100 inhabitants; Philippines, 3.6; Laos, 3.0; Myanmar, 1.6; Vietnam, 1.6; Brunei, 1.4; Malaysia, 0.7; Singapore, 0.3; and Indonesia, zero.[3]

Ownership of firearms is particularly high in the south Thailand provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat that have witnessed significant insurgency and rebellion since 2004.[1]

Gun laws

The Thai laws applicable to firearms regulation are the Act Controlling Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation of Firearms, B.E. 2490 (1947)[4][5] and Amendments to the Act Controlling Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation of Firearms, B.E. 2490 (2017).[6]

Gun ownership in Thailand is restricted to Thai citizens.[7]

Violent gun deaths

In 2016 Thailand's rate of violent gun-related deaths stood at 4.45 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, that of the Philippines was 7.42; the US, 3.85; Cambodia, 0.96; Myanmar, 0.56; Malaysia, 0.46; Indonesia, 0.10; and Singapore, 0.03.[8]

See also
Events

References
  1. Domínguez, Gabriel (2016-02-19). "A look at Thailand's fervent gun culture". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  2. Karp, Aaron. Briefing Paper; Estimating Global Civilian-Held Firearms Numbers (PDF) (June 2018 ed.). Geneva: Small Arms Survey; Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  3. "Civilian Firearms Holdings 2017" (PDF). Small Arms Survey (SAS). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  4. "Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks, and the Equivalent of Firearms Act B.E. 2490 (1947)" (English translation). Vertic. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
  5. Chaninat & Leeds (30 September 2011). "Gun Law of Thailand". Thailand Law Forum. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  6. Zeldin, Wendy (23 October 2017). "Thailand: Amendments to Firearms Law". Library of Congress. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  7. Sattaburuth, Aekarach (12 October 2017). "Gun possession, use by foreigners to be banned". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  8. Aizenman, Nurith (October 6, 2017). "Gun Violence: How The U.S. Compares With Other Countries". National Public Radio (NPR). Retrieved 1 November 2018.
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