From Korat to Nonthaburi: How mass shootings became Thailand’s recurring nightmare

When gunfire echoed through Debsirin Nonthaburi School on August 7, leaving seven dead, it reopened deep wounds in a society traumatised by mass shootings over the past six years.

The incident, perpetrated by a 14-year-old boy who first shot his paternal grandparents at home before targeting teachers and classmates and ultimately killing himself on campus, has forced Thailand to confront a worrying trend.

Mass shootings, once rare in Southeast Asia, have become a recurring nightmare across the country.

The first rampage: Korat, 2020

Thailand experienced its first high-profile mass shooting on February 8, 2020 in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), when Sergeant Major Jakrapanth Thomma launched a 17-hour rampage.

The massacre began when the 32-year-old soldier killed his commanding officer and the officer’s mother-in-law at their home over an alleged housing dispute. He then killed another soldier at a military base, stole war weapons and ammunition and fled in a stolen military vehicle.

On his way to the Terminal 21 Korat shopping mall, Jakrapanth shot down nine victims including one policeman before taking up position inside the complex.

Shoppers and staff spent a terrifying night hiding in storerooms and toilets as the gunman roamed the corridors, shooting at anyone in sight and live-streaming parts of the attack on social media, before his account was taken down.

By the time commando units had brought down the gunman early the following morning, he had killed 30 people – including a one-year-old toddler – and injured 58 others. The ordeal sparked widespread concern it might inspire copycat attacks.

Devastation two years later

Those fears materialised in Nong Bua Lumphu’s Na Klang district on October 6, 2022, with a tragedy that stunned the nation. Panya Kamrap, a 34-year-old former cop, stormed a daycare centre with a gun and knife, killing 22 napping toddlers and two teachers, one of whom was eight months pregnant.

He continued his rampage on his drive home, running down pedestrians and shooting bystanders, before killing his wife, his three-year-old stepson and himself. Panya had been dismissed from the police force for the possession of methamphetamine and was scheduled to appear in court the following day for a verdict in his drug case.

The Nong Bua Lampu tragedy left the country in profound grief and shock, marking one of the world's deadliest child massacres caused by a single attacker in modern history.

Violence in the capital

The assumption that such attacks were restricted to adult men with weapon training was shattered on October 3, 2023, when a 14-year-old boy opened fire inside Bangkok’s Siam Paragon shopping centre.

Located in the heart of the capital and near the Royal Thai Police Headquarters, the luxury mall became the site of chaos during the late afternoon rush. Using a 9mm blank-firing pistol modified to launch live ammunition, the teenager fatally shot three people and injured four others before being cornered by police.

Upon his arrest, police reported that the youngster was in a state of confusion, later stating that he had heard voices telling him to shoot.

He has been remanded to court-ordered psychiatric care at Galya Rajanagarindra Institute where he is allowed weekly visits from his parents. Officials say they may recommend the boy’s early release as he has behaved well and poses no significant risk to society.

The Central Juvenile and Family Court ordered the boy to undergo mandatory rehabilitation and psychiatric treatment for a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years. Having completed roughly two years under psychiatric supervision, his case will come up for court-mandated review next year.