Thailand suspends issuance of gun carrying permits to curb crime
Traisuree said the order was issued because many people in Thailand carry firearms in public places without a sound reason. Some display their firearms in public to intimidate others. Such habits could lead to crime and danger to people’s lives, properties and morale, she said.
Bangkok (VNA)♕ – Thailand has suspended the issuance of new firearm carrying permits for one year, starting from February 14, as part of the country’s effort to curb crime.
Traisuree Taisaranakul, Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Interior, was quoted by local media as announcing that Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the order on February 12.
Traisuree said the order was issued because many people in Thailand carry firearms in public places without a sound reason. Some display their firearms in public to intimidate others. Such habits could lead to crime and danger to people’s lives, properties and morale, she said.
In Thailand, guns are expensive and — on paper at least — hard to obtain. However, there were 6.2 million registered firearms in the country as of 2023, according to interior ministry figures. Another 4 million unregistered weapons, often sourced from strife-torn countries or smuggled in, were also estimated to be in circulation.
Data from the World Population Review in 2022 indicated Thailand was ranked 15th globally in gun deaths with 2,804 people killed, for a rate of 3.9 per 100,000 people.
Crimes involving guns are frequent, with some cases attracting national attention and prompting debates about gun control.
Anutin also suspended the issuance of gun carrying permits in November 2023, after a female schoolteacher was killed in the crossfire of a gunfight between rival student gangs in Klong Toey district of Bangkok.
A month earlier, police seized more than 2,000 illegal guns and arrested 1,593 suspects in a three-day nationwide crackdown following a deadly shooting at the Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok. A 14-year-old boy was arrested at the scene where two people died, and a third succumbed to injuries a week later.
After the Paragon shooting, Anutin suspended the issuance of permits for importing and trading firearms, as one of seven short-term measures to tighten gun control. In the longer term, he said, authorities would look at amending the country’s 76-year-old firearms law to close loopholes./.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong also revealed that the ministry had raised this year’s tourism target from 39 million to 40 million foreign visitors.
Thailand remains the top regional dairy exporter, driven by strong demand from key markets, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
The 2025 ASEAN Business Community Development (ABCD) Forum, themed “Empowering ASEAN's Next Leap: Digital, Sustainable & Entrepreneurial Transformation” brought together ministers, CEOs, and top industry experts to discuss key regional economic priorities.
The DES Ministry will seek cooperation from social media platforms to prevent the spread of fake news and monitor accounts related to such activities, he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the newly established Anti-Fake News Centre (AFNC).
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
Financial institutions and financial technology (fintech) players are intensifying their focus on expanding across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adopting tailored strategies to strengthen their presence in the region’s digital financial services landscape.
Featuring a permanent exhibition area, the ASEAN Hall will function both as a cultural showcase and as a dynamic venue for ASEAN-related events and programmes. Its inauguration on ASEAN Day added symbolic weight, marking a fresh milestone in ASEAN–RoK relations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
The focus of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October will be on strengthening economic relations through intra-regional trade and investment, as well as regional initiatives on energy networks and connectivity.
Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
The Indonesian Government is determined to seize opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of national agricultural products, an official has said, adding that it always strives to promote exports at the highest possible level, based on a mutually beneficial foundation.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
Indonesia is accelerating plans to increase lithium imports, particularly from Australia, in a bid to fill gaps in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain and realise its ambition of becoming a global EV manufacturing hub.
Malaysia’s gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) reached 1.01% of gross domestic product in 2022, a notable increase, with more than 51% contributed by the industry sector. The country is targeting GERD to reach 2.5% by 2030, in line with the national goal of transforming into a high-technology nation.
The facility was established in response to a growing shift in the Filipino labour force from the Middle East to Japan, where workers are seeking safer working environments.
In the latest Indonesia-US trade agreement in July, the US administration agreed to reduce the reciprocal tariff, which was initially set at 32% by US President Donald Trump last April, to 19%.
