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Guns Use by Foreigners to be Banned in Thailand

posted October 13, 2017 / No Comments

According to Bangkok Post, Thailand’s firearms laws have been amended to make way for a full ban on the use of guns by foreigners.

The amendment to The Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks, and the Equivalent of Firearms Act 1947 specifies that only Thai nationals can register guns. Prior to this, any foreigner residing in Thailand could make an application, as long as they held a work permit, a house registration and underwent a criminal record check. Tourists were not permitted to buy firearms.

Under this law, foreigners who are found to be in possession of firearms will receive prison sentences of between 1 and 20 years.

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The amendment also sets punishments of a maximum prison sentence of three years and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht for threatening people by saying they have a gun. This also applies to bomb scares.

The law will not affect the operation of shooting ranges, as foreigners will still be permitted to practice at these establishments. It will also have no bearing on permits that are already in place.

Gen. Ood Buengbon, head of the NLA’s committee, said the law is expected to be published in the Royal Gazette within the next 90 days.

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