Three dead in shopping mall shooting 14-year-old arrested

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Thai Police Capture Over 1,500 Suspects, Seize 1,789 Firearms in National Illegal Weapons Crackdown
On October 12th, 2023, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, commissioner general of the Royal Thai Police and relevant officers gave an official statement on a large-scale operation to eradicate illegal and improvised weapons users and dealers.

According to the Thai Prime Minister’s command and response to the Siam Paragon shooting incident, Pol Gen Torsak aimed to deploy forces to eradicate criminals. As a result, in 47 provinces across Thailand, there were 3,224 locations searched, 1,593 alleged suspects captured, 1,789 illegal and improvised firearms and 75,973 units of ammunition seized, and more illegal equipment confiscated.

Pol Gen Torsak also coordinated with relevant officials to shut down online websites and other social media platforms relating to illegal firearm deals. There were 79 Facebook accounts, 14 TikTok accounts, 148 Twitter/X accounts, 26 YouTube channels, and 14 Instagram accounts shut down.

Furthermore, during the conference, Pol Gen Torsak emphasized finding all criminals dealing illegal firearms very seriously without fail. He also asserted that with an increasing number of arrests, the severity of crimes and illegal activities would definitely be decreased. “This would build confidence in the safety of life and property for Thai citizens, foreign tourists, and international investors,” said Pol Gen Torsak.
source

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With China facing its own economic difficulties the number of Chinese tourists might have dropped due to several factors besides the shooting in Bangkok.

Chinese tourists lose confidence
Special report: Aftermath of Siam Paragon shooting has seen cancellations mount

About 60,000 tourists from the country have cancelled their trips to Thailand after the Siam Paragon shooting which left three dead -- including one Chinese tourist -- and four injured. Airports of Thailand data showed the number of Chinese arrivals has declined by 9.2% from 650,000 to 590,000 visitors following the incident.

China was Thailand's biggest overseas tourism market before the pandemic, with around 11 million Chinese arrivals in 2019.

However, tourism authorities expect less than half that number, or about 5 million, to visit the country this year.

Chiang Mai welcomes the largest number of Chinese tourists, so much so that five Chinese airlines have opened routes to the province.

They are Juneyao Airlines, Spring Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Air China.

The Bangkok Post spoke with hoteliers, tourism entrepreneurs and tourism officials in Chiang Mai to assess the situation in the northern province after the shooting and gauge opinions on how the government can ensure safety for tourists from all parts of the world.

He said many Chinese netizens posted that they would never visit a country where gun possession is not illegal, while witnesses at the scene shared their experience on Chinese social media platform Weibo that their first trip to Thailand would also be their last.

Full story bangkokpost.com

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Experts urge a multidisciplinary approach in tackling mass shootings
Following the Siam Paragon tragedy, experts urge a multidisciplinary approach in tackling mass shootings

A 14-year-old boy was arrested earlier this month for using a modified gun to open fire on shoppers at Siam Paragon shopping mall. The shooting resulted in three deaths and injury to four others. To prevent such tragic events from happening in the future, media platform The101.world together with Kid For Kids, Child and Family Policy Knowledge Center, recently organised a forum to discuss what people can learn from the event.

Dr Deja Piyavhatkul, a psychiatrist at Thainakarin Hospital, said the Siam Paragon mass shooting was the fourth incident reported by media in Thailand. This event is especially traumatising because the perpetrator is a teenager. The psychiatrist said he had previously urged the police to organise a multidisciplinary meeting, so they could gather knowledge from various fields to prevent mass shootings. Unfortunately, such meetings never took place.

"I had warned the police since mass shootings in Nakhon Ratchasima [2020] and Nongbua Lamphu [2022] that another mass shooting would definitely happen. The authorities should study the previous cases. A mass shooting is similar to a pandemic, but it happens due to several reasons including imitation, inspiration, loneliness among teens and incitement within subculture groups. Mass shootings are complicated issues which require multidisciplinary specialists," said Dr Deja.

full article bangkokpost.com

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Keeping the young safe
Special report: Recent incidents of violent behaviour fuel fears for kids' welfare, write Apinya Wipatayotin and Mongkol Bangprapa

Two incidents of violent behaviour involving young people last month in Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat are a wake-up call for society to help address the problem as quickly as possible so as to prevent any future recurrence, according to experts.

Families can play a greater role in preventing young people from using violence to solve problems. Encouraging greater media literacy among young people is another way that can help them relieve stress and reduce violent and suicidal behaviour, they say.

Incidents

Experts cite the case of a 14-year-old boy who went on a shooting rampage inside Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok, which left three dead and four injured on Oct 3.

The same month, a 19-year-old student in Nakhon Si Thammarat hanged herself after being scammed into buying a non-existent iPhone 13 on Oct 15.

The gang, which put down an address in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district as the shop's listed address, tricked her into transferring almost 20,000 baht to various accounts controlled by its members, supposedly to secure the phone she wanted.

Fearing her family would reprimand her for borrowing money to splash out on a device they could not afford, she was overwhelmed with stress and hung herself at home.

These two incidents reflect the problem of violent and suicidal behaviour among teens. The Bangkok Post talked to a psychiatrist and specialists in child and family and media literacy to gain their perspectives on solutions.

Problems and solutions

Dr Varoth Chotpitayasunondh, spokesman of the Department of Mental Health, said violence can be found everywhere in society, such as in crime scenes in movies, social media, games and even news reports, which enable children and adolescents to absorb hidden violence.

Stressful environments at home or school can also lead to them exhibiting aggressive behaviour.

Any act of violence that harms other people or self-injury has usually developed from a mental injury which may have accumulated over a long time, he said.

Dr Varoth said people with aggressive and violent behaviour should not generally be seen as mentally ill. Most cases involving violence do not stem from the offender's mental health problems. However, mentally ill patients might be more likely to commit violence than other people.

"The family is the most important shaping factor for children and adolescents. Parents should make time to listen to them more. Communication with care and kindness will act as a form of immunity to help protect them and encourage them to share things with parents, which releases stress," he said.

Violence among adolescents is a key concern. According to information collected from its hotline service 1323, those aged between 18-25 are at two to three times higher of stress or committing suicide.

More here ..bangkokpost

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Government Expedites Firearm Control Efforts
In a recent statement, the Minister of Interior has outlined the progress in strengthening firearm control. He emphasized the legal framework and law enforcement collaboration in maintaining public safety and limiting civilian gun possession.

Anutin Charnvirakul, the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, discussed advancements in firearm regulations, stating that his ministry performs its duties by registering and issuing licenses for firearm possession and carrying.

He expressed gratitude towards the police for their cooperation, acknowledging that without their help, the Ministry’s work would be challenging. The Interior Minister highlighted the role of administrative governance while law enforcement is primarily the responsibility of the police.

Anutin stated that, in Thailand, citizens legally own over 10 million firearms, raising the question of why so many Thais possess guns. He insisted on assuring the public that laws and the state are there to protect them, not the widespread carrying of guns for self-defense. He stressed that the ease of obtaining firearms contributes to the problem and that this is not acceptable.

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin also remarked that since his appointment, the Ministry of Interior must ensure that firearms are not viewed as an option for citizens, and he is committed to enforcing strict control over gun possession. He urged all state agencies to take serious and stringent actions to apply the laws effectively to address this issue.
thainews.prd.go.th

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Woman killed after shots fired in Klong Toey
Innocent teacher the vicim of hostilities between rival students

A woman succumbed to gunshot wounds while a man is in critical condition after gunfire erupted in Klong Toey district of Bangkok on Saturday morning.

Shots were reported in front of a TMBThanachart Bank (TTB) branch on Sunthornkosa Road.

Authorities responding to the scene found two people severely injured along with a knife. Witnesses recounted that two men opened fire on a group of university students following an argument. The assailants reportedly fled the scene on a motorcycle down Rama IV Road.

A motorcycle taxi driver who witnessed the incident told police that the two gunmen had parked near a group of four to five students who were waiting at a bus stop. The pillion rider approached one of the students and brandished a firearm to his head.

The intended victim managed to evade the initial shot, causing it to hit a woman identified only as Sirada, a computer teacher at the nearby Sacred Heart Convent School. The teacher sustained a fatal injury to the forehead and was declared dead at the hospital.

The shooter then fired another shot into the stomach of his intended target before attempting to flee. The motorcycle rider was heard yelling at the gunman to complete the act, leading to three more shots fired at the student’s head and neck.

Police are pursuing the assailants and suspect that the shooting may have stemmed from a university rivalry
bangkokpost

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what is there to think about anyone who owns a firearm and would kill someone, wouldn't worry about breaking the law

Anutin considering ban on carrying guns in public
Interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he is pondering prohibiting civilians from carrying a gun in public, and has consulted the Department of Provincial Administration (DPA) about amending the law to this effect.

His comment follows three recent fatal shootings in Bangkok, the latest early on Monday morning.

Mr Anutin, also a deputy prime minister, was speaking on Monday during a visit to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation.

He said he had consulted the DPA director-general about amending gun laws to impose stricter controls and prohibit people other than authorised officials from carrying a gun in public.

Currently, people who legally own a gun can carry it in public for self defence if they get the necessary permit.

On Saturday, shots were fired when two rival student gangs clashed in front of Sacred Heart Convent School in Bangkok's Klong Toey area. A teacher at a nearby bank ATM was killed by a sray bullet.

And early on Monday, about 2am, there was another shooting involving rival youth gangs near the mouth of Soi Pattanakarn 53 on the frontage road of the Bangkok-Chon Buri motorway in Suan Luang district.

A 15-year-old Mathayom 5 student was hit and killed. Police found six spent bullet cases scattered on the road.

The issuing of permits for importing and trading in firearms, real and replica, was suspended following the Oct 3 shooting at a Bangkok shopping mall, where a 14-year-old boy using a modified gun intended to fire blank ammunition fatally shot three people and wounded five others.
bangkokpost

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Govt says sorry to family
The government has expressed condolences to the family of a teacher who was killed by a stray bullet in Klong Toey district on Saturday, promising swift action to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

"As the government's representative, I would like to express our condolences for your loss," said deputy government spokeswoman Kanika Aunjit yesterday.

She said the government is working with the ministries of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), Interior and various agencies, to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The incident took place near the Sacred Heart Convent School, where an unidentified group of men opened fire at a group of university students amid an argument on Saturday.

The shot that was fired missed the intended target and struck the victim on the back of her head, who was queuing up to use an ATM machine on Sunthon Kosa Road.

Sirada S, a 45-year-old teacher, taught computer science at Sacred Heart Convent School. Her family organised her funeral rites in her native province of Suphan Buri.

Pol Col Withawat Chinkham, acting commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 5, said yesterday detectives had some progress in their attempt to identify the gunman.

The gunman covered himself with a long-sleeved shirt and full-face helmet, he said, and arrived at the scene on the back of a motorcycle.

The intended target was identified as Thanasorn H, 19.

He was admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Detectives are tracking the gunman and expects to identify him soon, Pol Col Withawat said.
bangkokpost.com

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sure these are students, stolen motorbikes and guns. 507,000 baht in compensation to the female teacher's family.

Klong Toey shooters 'fled city on stolen motorbikes'
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thammasuthee, commander of the MPB's Investigation Division, said he had received information that the two men, riding motorbikes whose licence plates had been reported stolen, changed clothes and left the capital in the aftermath of the incident.

"They also had the motorbikes painted a new colour," he said.

Police are investigating whether the suspected gunmen were former or current students of the same educational institution.

Pol Col Wittawat Chinkham, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5, has reportedly discovered which institution they attend, but police have no plans, as yet, to mount a search of the premises.

Meanwhile, Monthon Paksuwan, secretary-general of the Office of Private Education Commission (Opec), said Education Minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob had instructed Opec and relevant agencies to disburse 507,000 baht in compensation to the female teacher's family.

Following Tuesday's cabinet meeting, a government spokesman said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had instructed Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to ramp up gun control efforts and prevent civilians from possessing firearms in a bid to avoid any negative impact on the tourism sector caused by gun violence.
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Tech college student shot dead
A teenage vocational college student wearing his school uniform was shot dead in Dusit district on Monday morning. Witnesses said his four attackers fled on motorcycles.

The murder occurred on Soi Ranong 2 Road in front of Kornkaew Montessori School. The victim was 16 years old and a second-year student at Dusit Technical College, which is on the same road.

The slain student was shot in his chest and died on the spot. Police found a pen gun at the scene.

The victim's friends said he was attacked by four men on two motorcycles without licence plates. They fled along Rama V Road.

The street killing came a week after a teacher was killed by a stray bullet when a vocational student was shot in Klong Toey district.
bangkokpost.com

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Road rage gunshot kills passing motorcyclist
A passing motorcyclist was killed by a gunshot from an enraged pickup driver who fired a "threatening shot" at the driver of a six-wheel truck in Muang district on Monday night.

Motorcyclist Supakorn, 24, was shot in the right side of his head while taking his girlfriend to a hospital, about 7pm on Bang Phli-Tamru Road in tambon Bang Poo Mai.

Rescue workers rushed him to nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wound.

Pol Col Pisut Chansuwan, chief of Bang Poo police, said CCTV footage led police to arrest Burapa, 26, at a housing estate in Soi Mangkorn Road at 9.30pm on Monday. The man allegedly admitted to the shooting.

Mr Burapa said he had been driving a converted pickup truck used for ice deliveries and had been driven into a rage by the actions of a six-wheel truck driver on Bang Phli-Tamru Road. They had quarrelled at a petrol station. The truck driver had been holding a steel bar but retreated and drove off when Mr Burapa produced a gun.

Police said the pickup driver admitted he had then overtaken and stopped ahead of the six-wheeler, and fired a gunshot.

Mr Burapa said he intended to fire only a threatening shot, but the bullet had hit a passing motorcyclist. He had earlier stolen the gun from a teenage neighbour, and dropped it after the shooting.

The victim's tearful 23-year-old girlfriend Sudarat said she had a stomachache and Supakorn  was taking her to a hospital on his motorbike. She heard a gunshot and Supakorn just collapsed in front of her. Fortunately, she was able to reach around him and control and stop the motorcycle.

She knew of no reason why he would have been shot. They had no conflict with anyone. She also said she saw the accused gunman at the scene.
bangkokpost.com

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Woman killed after shots fired in Klong Toey
Innocent teacher the vicim of hostilities between rival students
A woman succumbed to gunshot wounds while a man is in critical condition after gunfire erupted in Klong Toey district of Bangkok on Saturday morning.
bangkokpost

Bangkok police arrest 10 suspects over shooting incidents that claimed 3
Police have arrested ten suspects in relation to two shooting incidents in Bangkok in which a secondary school teacher, a vocational school student as well as a technology university student were killed.

Police, armed with a search warrant from the Criminal Court, raided a house in Nonthaburi’s Sai Noi district on Wednesday and arrested a suspect identified as Warongchai Kansri.

The suspect later provided clues, which led the police to five more locations in both Bangkok and Nonthaburi, where they arrested seven more suspects.

All eight were taken to the Metropolitan Police Bureau for questioning.

A police source said the investigators are not yet confident as to whether Warongchai was the one who fired at the student and teacher. The source said police are still interrogating the eight suspects for information to establish who were the gunmen.

The source added that Metropolitan Police chief Pol Lt-General Thiti Saengsawang would be present at the interrogation.
full story nationthailand.com

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Thailand’s interior minister halts gun license issuance for a year
A halt on issuing gun licenses for a year has been authorised by Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as part of an effort to reduce gun violence, announced Traisuree Taisaranakul, secretary to the interior minister. The directive, referred to as Por 12, adheres to the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearms Act, she added.

full article thethaiger.com

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Mall accused denies murder charge
The 14-year-old gunman accused of killing three people in a shooting rampage at Siam Paragon shopping mall on Oct 3 denies charges of murder, saying he was not fully aware of what he was doing.

Pathumwan police were asked last week if psychiatrists had cleared the shooter for police interrogation. They said the teenager, who has been treated for mental illness, admitted to firearms charges pressed against him, but denies charges of murder and attempted murder.

The police are expected to forward their investigation report to the public prosecutor this week.

At one point in the attack, the accused called the 191 police special operations division to identify himself. He also asked the officers to come and get him. He was standing in a hotel at the mall with his weapon at the time but did not want to come out and surrender.

full article bangkokpost.com

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Shooting probe unearths macabre student gang
CRIME TRACK: Investigation reveals school rivalry is being used as a guise to hide criminal syndicates' activities

At first glance, it looked like the Klong Toey shooting on Oct 11 was a revenge attack between technical students who study at rival vocational colleges but when the police team of the Metropolitan Police Bureau dug deep, they found the shooter and his partner were part of a crime syndicate comprised of at least 84 members.

"It was organised crime. We believe about 10 people were involved. They have teams to plan, monitor students from the rival school, survey the area, help them escape, give legal advice and even finance their crimes," Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thamsuthee, commander of the MPB's Investigation Division, told the Bangkok Post in an exclusive interview.

Pol Maj Gen Theeradej is leading the investigation into the incident near the Sacred Heart Convent School on Sunthon Kosa Road, where two men opened fire on a group of students amid an argument.

One shot missed the intended target and struck Sirada Sinprasert, a 45-year-old teacher queuing up to use a bank's ATM on Sunthon Kosa Road.

Sirada, who taught at the school, died at the scene, while Thanasorn Hongsawat, 19, the target, was severely wounded and died later in hospital.

According to Pol Maj Gen Theeradej, the gang's activities extend beyond just inter-school rivalry as it also trains young students or former students to be killers.

"At least 84 people were identified as being members of the network. Police are considering who to arrest, and will target the network's financiers," said Pol Maj Gen Theeradej.

Officers specialising in drug-related crime are also helping to track down the financial sources behind the network.

After reviewing footage from more than 1,000 CCTV cameras in the vicinity, the two suspects were spotted lifting their motorcycle onto a cargo van before it was driven to another location.

The bike was later spotted in another part of the country having been repainted from red to blue.

Police received reports that the repainting occurred in an abandoned area of bushland on the outskirts of Ayutthaya's Bang Sai district following the discovery of discarded blue and red spray paint canisters.

Pol Maj Gen Theeradej instructed his team to review old cases of shootings between the two technical colleges which led them to send a team to a house that a group of technical college students rented in Wong Sawang Soi 19 in Bangkok's Pracha Chuen area.

After putting the soi under surveillance, officers spotted the cargo van, along with a sedan and other motorcycles belonging to the suspected killers and were able to identify a further five suspects they believed were involved.

Armed with arrest warrants, police raided six locations, including the house in Wong Sawang 19, an apartment in Bangkok's Rong Muang area, and houses in Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi, two weeks after the shooting.

full article bangkokpost.com

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Police target gun menace
With violence from illegal firearms now out of control, bulletproof measures must be taken, write Wassayos Ngamkham and Supoj Wancharoen

A week before Loy Krathong, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) arrested 14,909 suspects in 14,339 criminal cases in a pre-festival crackdown.

Of those, 1,320 cases were related to the illegal selling of unlicensed guns and illegally owned licensed guns, said National Police Chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol.

Many cases involved the wrongful ownership of firearms. The operation aimed to prevent gun violence, such as when technical college students shoot students from rival schools.

One such incident occurred in Klong Toey on Nov 11, and another one in Dusit district a week later.

According to Pol Gen Torsak, most firearms-related crimes are linked to unlicensed guns or stolen pistols.

"We have to admit an illegal firearms problem exists in this country. Continuous suppression operations are necessary to prevent firearm-related crimes," Pol Gen Torsak said.
Stronger punishments required
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is working on the issue. Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, its chief, told the Bangkok Post that he had ordered the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to set up a special police team to monitor the illegal sale of firearms online.

The public, even youths, can easily buy guns online, such as in the case of the Siam Paragon shooting on Oct 3 when the 14-year-old shooter purchased a modified blank gun and bullets online.
full article bangkokpost.com