BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand throws up checkpoints nationwide to hunt down guns. Cops and officials will search visitors at government buildings and crowded spots after a string of shootings.
Deputy Interior Secretary Arsit Sampantharat said the prime minister ordered police and local administrations to set up joint roadblocks. Searches will target anyone carrying firearms.
Checkpoints target guns at government offices
Arsit said the checks are already running but will be tightened after recent attacks. Special attention goes to government buildings and other crowded places.
Visitors will face stricter searches before entering state facilities and busy locations. The move comes after a gun attack on the chief of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administration Organisation.
Registered weapons behind recent shootings
Arsit revealed that most recent incidents involved registered firearms. In the past, unregistered weapons were more common in such cases.
He cited a student at Thepsirin Nonthaburi school who used a gun belonging to his grandfather. The attack on the Nonthaburi administrative chief also used a registered weapon.
No new P.12 gun carry permits
The prime minister has ordered that no one may carry firearms. Authorities will no longer issue any P.12 permits – the licence to carry a concealed weapon.
Anyone caught carrying a gun without a valid permit must be arrested, Arsit said. The order has already been published.
Meeting of all provincial governors considered
Arsit said a meeting with governors from every province may be called. Details are still being worked out.
He spoke on 10 August 2026 at the IMPACT Muang Thong Thani Exhibition and Convention Centre. Source: Khaosod Thai.