Democrat Spokesman Slams Gun Ban Policy Leaving Police Defenseless
Democrat spokesman Phongsakorn Kwanmuang criticizes Thailand's gun licensing ban for leaving police defenseless while criminals easily purchase illegal firearms through social media, arguing the policy creates dangerous security inequality.
Democrat Party spokesman Phongsakorn Kwanmuang has criticized the government's strict gun licensing ban, arguing it creates a dangerous security inequality. While intended to reduce violence, the policy leaves police unarmed while criminals easily purchase illegal firearms online through social media platforms.
Kwanmuang stated that the government's strict controls suspending all firearm purchase licenses, including for police and state officials citing difficulty controlling online gun sales, may appear well-intentioned but in reality creates a "security disparity" that is deeply concerning.
He noted that Thai society must acknowledge that illegal and homemade firearms are readily available—a simple social media search reveals buying channels easily accessible, with reviews and deliveries conducted openly like normal products. He argued that the Prime Minister's claim that the online world is difficult to control should not justify neglecting or surrendering to the problem, as this allows the black market to flourish freely.
The direct impact of the blanket licensing suspension is that police performing dangerous duties daily are left without firearms. When law enforcement officers lack weapons while criminals can purchase illegal guns freely, public safety is compromised. Kwanmuang called on the government to address the problem by dismantling illegal online gun networks completely through coordinated efforts with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and cyber police, aggressively removing pages and groups selling illegal firearms, and pressuring social media platforms to delete such content definitively before Thailand reaches a state where criminals are armed superior to state officials.
