14-Year-Old Teen Commits Shooting, PM Thailand Promises to Tighten Gun Rules

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul landing at Halim Perdanakusumah Airport, Jakarta, during a state visit to Indonesia on August 3-4, 2026. Photo: BPMI.

Thailand will tighten rules on carrying guns after a shooting involving a 14-year-old student at a school on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The Independent, quoted on Sunday, August 9, reported that the Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul said the government would propose a new law that would restrict anyone who could carry firearms.

"The new law will only allow government officials on duty to carry weapons," Anutin told reporters on Friday.

He did not specify whether the new rules would also tighten gun ownership requirements.

The shooting occurred at Debsirin Nonthburi School, Nonthaburi Province, northwest of Bangkok. A 14-year-old student fired shots and killed several people.

The teenager later died by suicide. Officials also suspect he had previously killed his two grandparents at the family home the morning before the shooting.

The death toll in the series of incidents then increased after police said a 12-year-old girl died on Saturday.

The Ministry of Health of Thailand said 15 people are still being treated in hospital. Six of them are in critical condition. The injured victims include students aged 12 to 14 years old.

The Bangkok Institute of Forensic Medicine on Saturday handled the bodies of eight people, consisting of five school staff, the alleged perpetrator, and his two grandparents.

Head of the Wiroon Institute Supasingsiripreecha said most of the shooting victims suffered one fatal gunshot wound to a vital part of the body, namely the chest or head.

The results of the complete examination, including toxicology tests to detect certain substances in the body, are still pending.

Wiroon said the gunshot wounds on the suspected perpetrator were consistent with the weapon used in the shooting.

Officials said the weapon was small in size and legally registered in the name of the perpetrator's grandfather.

Local media reported that the teenager showed signs of stress related to school. However, a number of relatives told Thai media that they did not know about the problems he was facing.

Schools suspended learning activities from August 10-14. Staff were asked to work from home during the period.

In Thailand, a gun license and a gun carrying license are two different licenses.

The Independent said Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia, ranking second after Pakistan and well ahead of its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Mass shootings have also occurred several times in Thailand. In 2022, a killing spree in the country's northeast killed 36 people, including 22 children.