Curbing meth in Bangkok a focus after massacre

Following the horrific daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua, where the killer had been battling drug charges, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced plans to focus on getting meth out of the capital. After a rash of drug-related crimes including the daycare centre massacre and another similar from the next day when a man was arrested outside of his child’s school with two guns and 17 meth pills, the capital city says it’s time to attempt new prevention plans.

According to the Bangkok Post, the massacre spurred Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt to push for the city to take measures to increase safety and decrease the use of drugs like meth to avoid similar crimes from proliferating. He warned against complacency and thinking it couldn’t happen again.

“Don’t think we’re immune [to similar crime sprees in Bangkok]. There could be copycat behaviour.”

The governor posited that a tragedy like this was rooted in the consumption of illegal drugs. Also, access to easily obtain guns increases the chances of a shooting spree like the one at the daycare centre. Chadchart suggested that warning signs and red flags were likely visible as someone with a drug abuse problem is easily noticeable.

The daycare centre killer had been kicked off the police force just four months earlier on June 15 when he was caught with methamphetamine pills. He reportedly had a court date regarding drug charges in the morning before he went on his violent rampage, killing 38 people including his child and wife, and injuring 10 more. Some 24 children, some asleep at the time of the shooting spree, lost their lives.

With meth prices lowering and pills flowing more and more into the country, Bangkok, like all of Thailand, has been battling an epidemic of methamphetamine use that spiraled out of control during the Covid-19 pandemic.