PM orders review of gun law revisions to ease impacts on competition shooting

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) to coordinate with the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) and the National Shooting Sport Association of Thailand (NSSAT) to work out a solution to the impacts of the proposed new gun law on competition shooting.

The NSSAT and a number of competitive shooters have raised concerns that the stricter gun controls imposed by the DOPA ahead of the new gun law, which is yet to be endorsed by parliament, has made it difficult for them to train.

The control measures include stricter limits on the purchase of ammunition at gun shops and shooting ranges, suspension of the issuance of permits to buy guns and renewal of gun ownership licenses every 3 or 5 years.

The prime minister is reported to have said that all stakeholders would be allowed to share their views on the proposed new gun law, including the NSSAT, noting though that that the stricter gun controls are intended to protect the public and prevent guns from being used to harm people.