Wacharapong, Chair of the Police Commission, has taken up Prime Minister Anutin's initiative to convene police and Interior Ministry officials for a major revision of the Firearm Act to address school shootings and gun threats. He ordered a strict ban on carrying firearms and said gun owners must share criminal liability.
On 9 August 2026, Wacharapong Kuwijitsuwan, Member of Parliament for Saraburi from the Bhumjaithai Party and Chair of the Police Commission of the House of Representatives, revealed the approach to addressing the firearm problem. He said that following the tragic incident where a 14-year-old boy carried out a shocking shooting at Thepsirin Nonthaburi School on 7 August 2026, causing multiple deaths and injuries, along with another case where a high school student brandished a gun to threaten, assault, and physically attack a peer at a school near Samsen Road, it became clear that one root cause is the pervasive culture of carrying firearms in public places, leading to significant losses.
Therefore, he has endorsed the policy of Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Soon, the Police Commission will hold discussions with the Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Interior to comprehensively revise and reform the Firearm and Ammunition Act across the board to impose stricter and more severe penalties.
Regarding this major enforcement measure, the focus will be on stopping the problem of carrying guns from the start by strictly prohibiting the public and even government officials off duty from carrying firearms outside their residences. Anyone caught carrying a gun without authority will face severe criminal charges with the harshest penalties.
Additionally, the new law will impose conditions holding gun owners criminally liable as accomplices if their registered firearms are stolen or used by others to commit shootings, unless the loss of the weapon was officially reported before the incident.
At the same time, Wacharapong emphasized the importance of secure firearm storage. Every gun owner must keep their weapon securely to prevent easy access by children or youth. Regarding proposals allowing teachers to carry firearms for self-defense in schools, he confirmed, following the Prime Minister’s stance, that this suggestion has been rejected. Teachers are not law enforcement officers authorized to use weapons. The proper solution is strict enforcement of the new firearm laws to crack down on illegal carrying outside homes, rather than increasing the number of guns in schools.