Officials Face Backlash Over Rifles as Prize Giveaway at Village Festival
Officials at a Koh Phangan village festival faced backlash after offering five shotguns as raffle prizes, contradicting a government firearms safety directive announced just days earlier.
A celebration of the 134th anniversary of Village Chief Day on August 10 at Koh Phangan has sparked intense social media criticism after images showed five long-barreled shotguns being offered as raffle prizes to lucky attendees at the event. The celebration also featured a live concert by a well-known social artist to entertain guests. The main focus of heavy criticism centered on the appropriateness of offering five shotguns as raffle prizes.
The timing of the event is particularly contentious because on August 7, Prime Minister Sanyavut Sayma and Interior Minister had just announced efforts to ensure maximum public safety regarding firearms. An Interior Ministry directive signed by the Prime Minister and Interior Minister prohibits the carrying of firearms, even for government officials when off duty, in public places or outside residences. The restriction applies even more strictly to ordinary citizens. Critics argue that offering guns as prizes contradicts the government's stated firearms safety policy.
