Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who previously tightened gun regulations while serving as interior minister, announced the plan on Friday, 7 August 2026, hours after the shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi. “The new law will only allow government officials on duty to carry guns,” Anutin told reporters. Thailand’s gun ownership problemThailand has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia. An estimated 10.3 million firearms were in civilian hands as of a 2017 estimate by the Small Arms Survey, equivalent to around 15 guns per 100 residents. Past reforms fell shortAfter the 2023 mall shooting, Anutin, then interior minister, ordered a round of gun control measures, including a temporary halt on new licences, tighter import restrictions and a ban on people under 20 using shooting ranges.