A village headman shown in a video firing a gun in tribute to a local ascetic spirit on Chinese New Year apologized to society, admitting his wrongdoing was due to not fully understanding the law. Police charged him with discharging a firearm without proper cause and reasoned.
The incident sparked widespread attention on social media after a Facebook user posted a video of a man identified as a village headman from Sali Subdistrict, Bang Pla Ma District, Suphan Buri Province. In the video, he said that on Chinese New Year, the local ascetic spirit and ancestral shrine appreciate loud sounds such as firecrackers and gunfire. He then fired a .308 rifle into the ground behind the shrine. He stated that his gun was registered and licensed properly, allowing him to shoot on his own property without breaking the law. He fired more than 18 rounds and told youths that if a gun is registered, police can check the gun count immediately using a person's ID number when photos are posted online. After the clip spread, many criticized whether it was appropriate for a village headman to fire a gun like that and questioned the legality and propriety of his actions.
Most recently (17 Feb 2026 GMT+7), reporters went to meet the man in the video, known as Village Headman Tee, but he was not found because he had gone to meet investigators at Bang Pla Ma Police Station to acknowledge the charges.
Sergeant Major Suriyan Phusawat, the district chief of Bang Pla Ma, said that after seeing the video, the village headman was summoned for questioning and admitted to firing the gun. The village headman personally enjoys creating social media content to generate income to support the community. On the incident day, he fired the gun on Chinese New Year to pay tribute to the local ascetic spirit, but this act constitutes a minor criminal offense, punishable by a fine at the police station under the law. It does not amount to misconduct disturbing public order. It is considered firing a gun without proper cause. The district officer took him to the police station to acknowledge the charges. A warning record will be made, and if he offends again, further action will be taken, including revoking all his firearm possession licenses.
Village Headman Tee said he must apologize to everyone, explaining that he acted out of not fully understanding the law. He thought firing a gun on his own property was not illegal but forgot that firing without proper cause is punishable. After the incident, he went to meet police to acknowledge the charges. He sincerely apologized to all relatives and community members for not studying the law carefully before acting. He pledged not to repeat the behavior and advised everyone that firearms should not be fired casually during any festival, whether New Year, Chinese New Year, ordinations, or weddings, as it is unnecessary and illegal. He raised his hands in a traditional Thai gesture to apologize to society.
Initially, police charged him with firing a gun without proper cause and proceeded with legal action. They seized the firearm to check if it had been used in other offenses and will recommend the administration revoke his firearm possession license for the district chief to consider further action.