Police Committee to Overhaul Firearms Act and Increase Penalties

Khaosod•Politics•17d ago

Reader Briefing

The Police Committee of the House of Representatives plans to overhaul the Firearms Act to implement stricter penalties and prohibit the carrying of firearms in public.

•Watcharapong Koowijitsuwann, Chairman of the Police Committee, announced plans to discuss the overhaul of the Firearms Act with the Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Interior.
•The proposed changes aim to strictly prohibit civilians and off-duty government officials from carrying firearms outside their residences.
•New regulations would hold gun owners criminally liable as co-defendants if their registered firearm is used in a crime, unless a loss report was filed beforehand.
•The Prime Minister has rejected a proposal allowing teachers to carry firearms for self-defense in educational institutions.

Overview

•The move follows a mass shooting by a 14-year-old at Debsirin School in Nonthaburi and an incident where a high school student used a gun to threaten peers on Samsen Road.
•Watcharapong Koowijitsuwann stated that the root of the problem is a culture of carrying firearms in public leading to major losses.
•The Police Committee will coordinate with the Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Interior to restructure the Firearms, Ammunition, and Explosives Act.
•The proposed measures will forbid the general public and government officials not on active duty from carrying firearms outside their homes.
•Violators who carry firearms without authority will face severe charges and serious penalties.
•Gun owners will be held immediately responsible as co-defendants if their registered weapons are stolen or used by others to shoot people, provided no prior loss report exists.
•Watcharapong Koowijitsuwann emphasized that all gun owners must store weapons securely to prevent access by children and youth.
•The Prime Minister has already rejected the proposal for teachers to carry firearms in schools, stating teachers are not officials directly tasked with using weapons.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on Khaosod (Thai Version)

Source: Khaosod (Original)

View Original Article

Key Entities

Person

Watcharapong Koowijitsuwann(วัชรพงศ์ คูวิจิตรสุวรรณ)

Member of Parliament for Saraburi, Bhumjaithai Party, and Chairman of the Police Committee of the House of Representatives.

Anutin Charnvirakul(อนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Organization

Police Committee(กมธ.ตำรวจ)

A committee of the House of Representatives tasked with police-related matters.

Royal Thai Police(สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ)ℹ️

The agency the Police Committee will consult with to overhaul the Firearms Act.

Ministry of Interior(กระทรวงมหาดไทย)ℹ️

The ministry the Police Committee will consult with to overhaul the Firearms Act.

Bhumjaithai Party(พรรคภูมิใจไทย)ℹ️

The political party of Watcharapong Koowijitsuwann.

Place

Debsirin School Nonthaburi(โรงเรียนเทพศิรินทร์ จ.นนทบุรี)

The location where a 14-year-old committed a mass shooting.

Samsen Road(ถนนสามเสน)ℹ️

The area where a high school student used a gun to threaten and assault friends.

Saraburi(สระบุรี)ℹ️

The constituency of Watcharapong Koowijitsuwann.

Nonthaburi(นนทบุรี)ℹ️

The province where Debsirin School is located.

Law

Firearms, Ammunition, and Explosives Act(พ.ร.บ.อาวุธปืน เครื่องกระสุนปืนฯ)

The legislation being targeted for a major overhaul to increase penalties.