Thailand Tightens Gun Checkpoints at Public Sites

The Permanent Secretary of the Interior has coordinated with police and local administrators to establish special gun-detection checkpoints at government buildings and crowded public areas. At 4 p.m. on August 10, 2025, at the IMPACT Muang Thong Thani convention center, Arutsit Sampantharat, Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry, announced that the Prime Minister has ordered police and local authorities to work together in setting up checkpoints for special weapons detection. These operations were already ongoing, but must now be significantly intensified due to recent incidents. Most firearms involved in recent attacks have been registered weapons rather than illegal ones, as in the case of the Debsirin Nonthaburi school shooting where a student used his grandfather's gun, and today's shooting of a Nonthaburi provincial administrator also involved a registered weapon. This requires special scrutiny. The Prime Minister has banned all civilians from carrying firearms, particularly suspending the issuance of Form 12 gun permits entirely, meaning anyone found carrying a weapon will be arrested on the spot. Provincial governors were notified today during this meeting. Government buildings and high-traffic public areas will require special weapons screening before entry, as today's shooting targeted a provincial administrative office, necessitating heightened vigilance and screening measures. When asked whether a formal Ministry of Interior announcement would be issued to formally reinforce the gun-carrying ban, Arutsit stated that such an announcement had already been made, though a nationwide meeting of provincial governors is being considered.