Naparat, or L, age 30, shot a rescue officer on Motorway 7 in Chonburi before fleeing back to his hometown in Pathum Thani with a firearm. This led to the closure of 17 schools in the area to ensure student safety. Naparat later surrendered to the police, sparking widespread fear and online debate.
Recently, Jack Green, Thairath Entertainment, interviewed Boom Panadda Wongpudi, an actress, beauty queen, and chairperson of the Good Deeds Foundation, about the matter. She believes that Anutin Charnvirakul, the Prime Minister, is addressing the problem reactively by only banning civilians from carrying guns, declaring any unauthorized firearm possession illegal and punishable by law, while ignoring root causes such as drugs, mental health, and economic issues.
She also updated on her foundation's and personal bank accounts and credit cards being frozen after scammers impersonated her to defraud victims via Line groups and phishing links. She said some accounts are now partially usable again.
Asked about the mass school closures in Pathum Thani due to the armed individual,
she said, “Just last night we held a major teachers’ meeting. We’re launching a project to train children to handle emergencies like fires, earthquakes, and even active shooter situations in school. The training will start this year because, while we hope these incidents never happen, children must be prepared and able to protect themselves quickly if they do.”
“Is there an increase in violent incidents?”
“Exactly. I’m still shocked that the Prime Minister only talks about guns. Civilians who legally bought guns now find themselves criminalized. This is reactive problem-solving. Even with frozen accounts, the real issue remains unaddressed: drugs, mental health, and the economy.
“You see, those with bodyguards carrying guns aren’t afraid because they don’t live like ordinary people. They sit in parliamentary meetings, never truly understanding the public’s struggles, fears, or daily realities. They only see things from above, never walking alongside the people. They focus on punishing gun possession and freezing accounts but ignore how ordinary citizens suffer and scramble for access. They should empathize more with the people’s perspective.”
“Aren’t you afraid your strong words will anger them?”
“Not at all (smiles). Even about the frozen accounts, some accused me of cursing the Election Commission. But if you listen carefully, I never cursed the Election Commission; I only cursed the corrupt. It’s normal to resent those who betray the country during elections. So I wished ill on corrupt people, that’s all.”
“Some thought my strong words against officials caused the account freeze, but that’s unrelated (waves hand). It’s about fake accounts, and authorities addressed the wrong issue.”
“Regarding when the accounts will be restored, I’ll provide updates gradually. Some funds have returned—about 19,000 baht available, which is okay for now. If it’s not enough, I’ll ask Jack Green for help (smiles).”
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