Gun Laws In Thailand

[micksterbs]

Just wondered what are the laws pertaining to guns over here? Shotguns, pistols, rifles etc. I don't actually want one but am curious what the laws are. I never see any gunshops around (unlike the Philippines) but it seems like everyone and their dog owns a gun on Thai dramas. Hmm, hardly a fair reflection on life over here, I know, but I'm still curious. Anyone know?

[A_Traveller]

An overview of the framework is below, though despite this plethora, the trade in illegal small arms is often acknowledged to be widespread.

• Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive Articles and Fireworks and Imitation of Firearms Act, B.E. 2490 (1947)
  
• Munitions of War Control Act, B.E. 2530 (1987)
  
• Decree on the Export Control of Armaments and Material, B.E. 2535 (1992)
  
• Order of the National Administrator Reform Committee No.37 (October 1976)
  
• Ministerial Regulation No.12 (1981), issued under the Firearms, Ammunitions, Explosives, Fireworks and Firearm Equivalents Act 1947
  
• Ministerial Regulation No.1 (1977), issued under the Order of the National Administrative Reform Committee No. 37
  
• Ministerial Regulation No.2 (1977), issued under the Order of the National Administrative Reform Committee No. 37
  
• Ministerial Regulation No.3 (1977), issued under the Order of the National Administrative Reform Committee No. 37
  
• Ministerial Regulation No.4 (1977), issued under the Order of the National 3
  
• Administrative Reform Committee No. 37
  
• Act Controlling Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation of Firearms No.4 (1967)
  
• Notification of the Ministry of Interior. Appointment of Registrars, Officers and Officials under the Firearms, Ammunitions, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation of Firearms Act 1947
  

In summary, a foreigner in Thailand is unable to carry a firearm, without express permission, which is very rarely granted. For a Thai citizen, they must show themselves to be good members of the community, show cause for issuance of the licence, and I seem to recall show or pay a specific sum {see below} for a firearm licence to be provided. As in other countries the regulations specify class of weapon, including shot-guns, small bore rifles, hand guns etc..

From a report submitted by the Thai authorities to the UN, in 2005:-

Any person who desires to possess small arms (pistols) must obtain permission from the authorities concerned. In Bangkok, the Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police is

responsible for granting permit licenses of gun possession. An inter-agency, committee, comprising agencies such as the Office of Narcotics Control Board, the Ministry of

Interior, the Ministry of Defence, the Office of the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, will be set up to verify the qualification of each applicant. Then, the persons

who have authority to grant permit license are the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police and provincial governors. Permit licenses can be cancelled any time when the licensee is proven to have committed a crime or to have used guns inappropriately. The person whose license was cancelled will never be granted a permit license again.

The Ministry of Interior released the ministerial order on 29 May 2003 to suspend the permit license granting for all types of rifle temporarily due to the increasing number of

crime cases caused by small arms and according to the government policy to suppress firearms, illegal arms, and organised crime. Such authorisation must be given by the

Minister of Defence.

For a civilian who wishes to obtain a possessing license, he/she has to be over 35 years old and possess a saving account more than 1 million Baht at least 6 months. In case an

applicant for a permit license owns a business or is a company manager, the registered capital must be at least 10 million Baht. In addition, this act states that any government officer who desires to carry government issued guns and ammunitions out of the office in a non-emergency case has to ask for permission from the head of the agency, and must have the letter of permission at hand.

The Ministry of Interior has proposed new Amnesty Act to exempt penalties to any person possessing illegal arms in order to help reduce the number of illegal arms possession in the country. At present, this Act has not yet been endorsed but is in the final review process.{2005, don't recall that it happened} However, Thailand has enacted the Amnesty Acts six times in the past, namely, in 1948, 1958, 1975, 1987, 1992 and 2000.

Regards

Edited February 15, 2008 by A_Traveller

[micksterbs]

Well, that pretty much covers it! Had often wondered.

Cheers, A_Traveller!

[Pundi64]

Just wondered what are the laws pertaining to guns over here? Shotguns, pistols, rifles etc. I don't actually want one but am curious what the laws are. I never see any gunshops around (unlike the Philippines) but it seems like everyone and their dog owns a gun on Thai dramas. Hmm, hardly a fair reflection on life over here, I know, but I'm still curious. Anyone know?

Yep we bought a home protection device, Smith & Wesson 9mm simi-auto. One in the chamber, 17 to go.

[dominator]

No

[Heng]

Wasn't aware that they had raised the minimum age to 35, as I got my permit a few years ago when I was 28, no issues.

[Thaiboxer]

The laws are pretty strict here compared to some other countries. On top of all the licensing, the prices are outrageous since the guns are imported. Six years ago, I had a new 12 guage riot shotgun (pump action) that only cost $200 US. Traded a 9mm Ruger for it. Here, it would probably cost double that.

[rak sa_ngop]

Had a shooting outside my condo in BKK at 6.00 am Monday morning. My security guard says 8 shots were fired, one guy ('mafia') got hit in the leg. Everything cleared up with no police being called, although the police may have been there for the shooting...if you know what I mean. Everything back to normal as if nothing had happened.

[prodriver]

A_Traveller's reply seems to cover micksterb's question very well but following on that thread it appears that some of the criteria needed to obtain a firearm has changed over the past few years. My wife purchased a hand gun about 8 years ago. She was neither 35 years of age at that time nor did she have a million baht in a bank account. She did have to supply a "character reference" from her Kamnan though.

Incidentally, I accompanied her to the gun shop in our local town when we were making the purchase and was somewhat surprised at the amount of individuals (who seemed mostly in their late teens or early 20's) that came in to buy 3 bullets....2 bullets etc. just like one sees some Thais buying two or three cigarettes at a time from the corner shop. I was also surprised by one of the police (who run the shop) when he suggested that when my wife gets her firearms licence (which took about a month to come through) for me to make a downsized copy of it to put in my wallet so that if I ever got stopped with the gun in the car I could show a copy of my wife's licence. I mentioned the fact that I thought that it was not allowed for a farang to be in possession of a firearm. His reply was that I could be taking it to a firing range to do some practise shooting and anyway, we know you but he added....make sure that the gun is not loaded in the car and to keep the bullets separate. Strange but true....still, this is Thailand.

And yes firearms are expensive here. I was quoted over 50,000 baht for a Smith & Wesson .38 calibre. I eventually opted for a Rossi .38 revolver brand new at 37,000 baht. Oops, I mean my wife opted for that gun...ahem!!

[A_Traveller]

The data above in my post as I noted came from a 2005 document submitted to the UN, focused on illegal trading {extraterritorial} for which I didn't have a non-subscription link for yesterday, however I rummaged through the UN sites and found this public link to it. It has the edifying title of National Report of the Kingdom of Thailand on the Implementation of the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, July 2005.

Regards

[WeekendWarrior]

Good to see other people like shooting stuff.

I take my shooting serialsly and I also keep my bullets seperatly so as to not harm myself.

[Thaiboxer]

It's interesting that the cop says you can take the gun to the range by yourself. When I checked out some guns in the downtown area of BKK five years ago, they said the gun would have to be registered in my wife's name and that she would have to accompany me to the gun range. There was no mention of any bank account requirement. As mentioned before, prices were crazy and for an extra 4,000 Baht, the gun shop would do all the required licensing paperwork for you. They said it takes about a month. Selection of guns and ammo isn't great, but they do offer .22 rifles for target practice and the good old 12 guage for general use and self defense. It's safe where we live, so I don't think I'd ever need a gun for defense and never needed on in the US either. I did own several for pleasure shooting, but never kept them loaded at night. From what I understand, even airguns are under the same laws as firearms. In most states, I believe anyone 18 or older can just walk into a sporting goods store and purchase one.

[Jandajoy]

Good to see other people like shooting stuff.

I take my shooting serialsly and I also keep my bullets seperatly so as to not harm myself.

Lord that looks scary

[Jandajoy]

Just wondered what are the laws pertaining to guns over here? Shotguns, pistols, rifles etc. I don't actually want one but am curious what the laws are. I never see any gunshops around (unlike the Philippines) but it seems like everyone and their dog owns a gun on Thai dramas. Hmm, hardly a fair reflection on life over here, I know, but I'm still curious. Anyone know?

Boored again eh????

Please don't buy any guns. You'll just get boored and decide to practice

pip pip

[submaniac]

"Gun laws in Thailand, Are there any?"

Well a good one is only sons of interior ministers may shoot police colonel's in the head. Aside from that, well, it's anything goes.

P.S. Weekend warrior, what type of long gun is that? Picture resolution is not good, but looks like a good old 12 gauge shotgun?

Edited February 16, 2008 by submaniac

[percy2]

Good to see other people like shooting stuff.

I take my shooting serialsly and I also keep my bullets seperatly so as to not harm myself.

Lord that looks scary

I agree.

The avatar looks like somebody from the Terry Nichols fan club.

Cheers

[Murgatroyd]

I wonder what restrictions apply to purchasing and owning Paintball guns.

[WeekendWarrior]

P.S. Weekend warrior, what type of long gun is that? Picture resolution is not good, but looks like a good old 12 gauge shotgun?

Yes it is, my favorute for duck shooting. It is a big gun and nearly taller than me.

I make my own cartridges to with a little extra kick in them to bring the duck down.

As for a fan of Terry Nickols, I do not know who that is, can you expolian please.

Cambo is real good for guns, you can hire all kinds a stuff and blow shit up.

I brought a cow once and threw hand grenades at it and then finished it off with a Browning M2 50 cilber machine gun

[egg]

P.S. Weekend warrior, what type of long gun is that? Picture resolution is not good, but looks like a good old 12 gauge shotgun?

Yes it is, my favorute for duck shooting. It is a big gun and nearly taller than me.

I make my own cartridges to with a little extra kick in them to bring the duck down.

As for a fan of Terry Nickols, I do not know who that is, can you expolian please.

Cambo is real good for guns, you can hire all kinds a stuff and blow shit up.

I brought a cow once and threw hand grenades at it and then finished it off with a Browning M2 50 cilber machine gun

mate ,, you have to be a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic

[percy2]

As for a fan of Terry Nickols, I do not know who that is, can you expolian please.

Cambo is real good for guns, you can hire all kinds a stuff and blow shit up.

I brought a cow once and threw hand grenades at it and then finished it off with a Browning M2 50 cilber machine gun

Terry Lynn Nichols (born April 1, 1955) is a U.S. Army veteran who was convicted of being an accomplice of Timothy McVeigh, the man convicted of murder in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, April 19, 1995), which claimed 168 lives.

Nichols was convicted of eight counts of manslaughter in a United States District Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment in ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The state of Oklahoma then charged him with capital murder. The McAlester, Oklahoma trial started March 1, 2004. The jury selection and the testimony phase began on March 22 and he was convicted on August 9, of 161 counts of first-degree murder. As in the Federal trial, the jury spared him the death penalty and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Nichols has alleged a high-ranking FBI official was directing Timothy McVeigh in the plot to blow up a government building and might have changed the original target of the attack, according to a new affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Utah on February 9, 2007.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I thought maybe I was being rude at first and almost didn't post.

After the cow comment , I'm more inclined to think I was being very intuitive.

Cheers

[WeekendWarrior]

Well its not very nice saying I am a fan of a murderer. But like a good christian I can forgive easily, thats what my mum tauht me from an ealry age anyway.

As for the cow, it only had three legs already as one had been severd in an land mine accident. So it was not having a good life anyway.

[ignoramus]

Cambo afordable huh? Don't care WW. If you are there I'm a'gunna steer well clear. Even for hols.

Gun's almost as tall as you huh? Why am I not suprised. How big is your other weapon? Euthanasia suddenly seems useful.

I would relish getting banned for this post. That way I'd know precaxtly from whence TV emanates.

[A_Traveller]

WW, might I ask what do you do during the week when you are not warrioring, presumably?

Regards

Edited February 17, 2008 by A_Traveller

[micksterbs]

Just wondered what are the laws pertaining to guns over here? Shotguns, pistols, rifles etc. I don't actually want one but am curious what the laws are. I never see any gunshops around (unlike the Philippines) but it seems like everyone and their dog owns a gun on Thai dramas. Hmm, hardly a fair reflection on life over here, I know, but I'm still curious. Anyone know?

Boored again eh????

Please don't buy any guns. You'll just get boored and decide to practice

pip pip

Hello again, Jandajoy! Nope, not bored; just curious. I'm not thinking of buying a gun as I don't need one, thank God. But if I did, I certainly wouldn't be shooting cows. I used to instruct others how to shoot safely and accurately in an earlier time and that didn't include tormenting poor animals.

[micksterbs]

Well its not very nice saying I am a fan of a murderer. But like a good christian I can forgive easily, thats what my mum tauht me from an ealry age anyway.

As for the cow, it only had three legs already as one had been severd in an land mine accident. So it was not having a good life anyway.

I think a "good Christian" would have walked up to the cow and shot at its head at point-blank range. That would have been the kind thing to do, and I think I know the posters on this board well-enough to say that they would do the same. But to use it for grenade target practice... People never cease to amaze me.

[WeekendWarrior]

WW, might I ask what do you do during the week when you are not warrioring, presumably?

Regards

I drink a bit, love fishin for flathead and take it home and cook for mum and sis. Batter in in beer batter and big thick cut chips.

I sell guns as a business and spend most my time when not working between Cambo and phuket where I have a darling.

Thinking to open a gold shop in phuket though.

[Dustoff]

mate ,, you have to be a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic

Come on folks, it is a TROLL!

Having spent many years in the deep south of the United States, I certainly know that the kind of beings this person is pretending to be do exist but there is no way that someone that mentally challenged can be functional on a computer. The drool on the keyboard alone would short-circuit attempts at communication...

As long as he doesn't step over the line of actually threatening anyone and getting himself banned, enjoy good theater!

To da Warrior, I wuz wunce perty good with gunz and shit to but I only hunted animals fer food or humans fer Jesiz and Country. Now the wirld is my country and Jesiz don't matter none anyways.

[thaihome]

.... I wuz wunce perty good with gunz and shit to but I only hunted animals fer food or humans fer Jesiz and Country. Now the wirld is my country and Jesiz don't matter none anyways.

Nice to see irony alive and well on the board....

TH

[WeekendWarrior]

Whatever dusty, I'll have you know I can use a computer quite well as I run my business from it when I am away and other stuff on it when home.

I am currentley getting some items manufracured in bangkok that I designed and developed myself for accessoris for my shop. One of them is a carry bag, long and slender for rifles that you can carry as a backpack on your back when hunting and walking long distances. This adds safety to hunting as you have a seperate pocket in the bag for keeping ammo for saftey reasons.

many accidnets happen while walking and carrying guns and this should releviate many of these accidnets and start to give hunters good credit for safety and accidnet insurance.

[micksterbs]

Whatever dusty, I'll have you know I can use a computer quite well as I run my business from it when I am away and other stuff on it when home.

I am currentley getting some items manufracured in bangkok that I designed and developed myself for accessoris for my shop. One of them is a carry bag, long and slender for rifles that you can carry as a backpack on your back when hunting and walking long distances. This adds safety to hunting as you have a seperate pocket in the bag for keeping ammo for saftey reasons.

many accidnets happen while walking and carrying guns and this should releviate many of these accidnets and start to give hunters good credit for safety and accidnet insurance.

Whatever your business is, it's certainly not writing dictionaries...