Danish danger on Thai island: Illegal firearms arrest on Koh Samui

Thai police apprehended a Danish man in Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani yesterday, for his illegal possession of firearms.

Following the strict measures implemented after the shooting at Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok, Thai police yesterday, October 10, conducted an investigation into owners of firearms both legal and illegal across the country and discovered a Danish man in Koh Samui ordering guns online.

Officers from the Immigration Bureau, Tourist Police, Bor Phud Police Station, and Provincial Police Region 8 secured an arrest warrant from the Thailand Courts and proceeded to raid the foreigner’s residence in Soi Khao Phra in the Koh Samui district.

Officers discovered and confiscated three pistols, one shotgun, and hundreds of bullets in the house. The Danish man admitted to his illegal ownership of the firearms. He claimed that he had a fervour for guns and was keen on building his collection. So, he ordered all the firearms and bullets online. Officers did not disclose whether the online stores were based in Thailand or abroad.

The Danish man may face imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both for possessing a gun without permission according to Section 7 of the Act on Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearm.

The shooting at Siam Paragon mall committed by 14 year old gunman emphasised that access to firearms in Thailand is too easy. An officer conducted an investigation into how the gunman obtained the weapon and managed to arrest four suspects. The four suspects sold the modified gun and bullets to the young gunman, and they are now under temporary imprisonment until October 20 when they will be required to present themselves to the court.

Revision of Firearms Act

The Deputy Prime Minister (PM) and Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, planned to revise the Act on Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearms to prevent a similar accident in the future.

The revision was a long-term measure, while Anutin announced short-term measures related to imitation firearms, for example, blank guns and BB guns, to solve the problem. The deputy PM ordered relevant departments to refrain from insuring permits to order, import, or trade all types of imitation firearms.

Owners of blank guns, BB guns, or firearms imitations must register with the local authorities. the Customs Department must implement strict inspection on the import of imitation firearms. The Sports Authority of Thailand is urged to inspect all the registered shooting ranges across the country more often.

The provincial governors together with the Royal Thai Police commissioners must not issue permits to carry guns during this time. The firearm stores, even the legal ones, are now allowed to order any guns for now.

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