Just as Thailand was set to mark the first anniversary of its worst-ever mass killing, the sound of gunshots broke out in the heart of Bangkok’s top luxury shopping mall.
Tuesday’s shooting rampage offers proof that government agencies remain powerless to prevent deadly gun violence despite lessons offered by the massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu province last year.
“I have seen no tightening of gun controls,” commented Assoc Prof Dr Krisanaphong Poothakool, an expert in criminology and law enforcement who serves as vice president of Rangsit University. He is also a former police officer.
On October 3, a 14-year-old boy opened fire at shoppers in Siam Paragon, killing two people and injuring five others.
Thailand ranks 13th among countries with the highest civilian gun ownership, according to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey (2017). The global survey recorded more than 10.34…
