Thailand suspends gun licences after deadly school shooting

Thailand has suspended the issuing of new gun licences following last week’s school shooting that left nine people dead, including the teenage gunman, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Tuesday.

Anutin ordered the Interior Ministry and police to stop issuing licences to possess, buy or carry firearms. He also called for tighter gun controls and tougher penalties.

The decision came as the victims and the 14-year-old shooter were cremated at a Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok.

The teenager shot his grandparents at their home on Friday before going to school and opening fire. Five teachers and staff members were killed, while a 12-year-old girl was seriously wounded and later died in hospital. The shooter then killed himself.

At Tem Rak Samakkhi Buddhist temple on Tuesday, the grandparents’ white caskets were placed alongside their portraits before the cremation. The boy’s smaller casket was kept separately and surrounded by white flowers.

Tawee Piewphong, the grandfather’s brother-in-law, described him as a quiet but kind man and said the family was struggling to understand what had led to the killings.

“I want to tell him that being 14 is just a small fraction of your entire life, and every problem has a solution,” Tawee said.

Police are still investigating the motive. Investigators said the boy had watched violent videos online and had previously brought a BB gun to school. Officials also said he had faced pressure over his studies, while a classmate claimed he had been bullied.

A relative of the boy, who asked not to be identified by her surname, said she believed he may have been dealing with serious problems.

“A boy at that age is like a blank piece of fabric. He must have gone through a lot of issues,” she said.

Parents and relatives of students at the school also expressed concern about mental health and the need to prevent similar incidents.

The teenager used his grandfather’s firearm in the attack. Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, and previous efforts to tighten gun laws have failed to stop a series of deadly shootings.

The government’s latest move is aimed at strengthening controls over firearms and preventing further gun-related violence.