Anutin undergoes strict weapon check at Buriram checkpoint
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was randomly searched for weapons and drugs at a checkpoint in Buriram's Ban Dan district on Aug 16, 2026.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- PM Anutin Charnvirakul was subjected to a surprise weapon and drug search in Buriram
- The operation took place on August 16, 2026, in Ban Dan district
- Stringent measures follow a series of high-profile gun violence incidents in Thailand
- The Prime Minister previously ordered a suspension of all new gun permits (P.3 and P.4)
On August 16, 2026, administrative officials and police forces jointly set up strict checkpoints to inspect firearms and illicit drugs in Ban Dan sub-district, Ban Dan district, Buriram province, as well as several other areas across the province. This operation was carried out in accordance with the policy led by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, which emphasizes cracking down on and preventing the proliferation of firearms in society.
While officers were performing their duties, Prime Minister Anutin, who was visiting the area on official business, was also stopped and searched by officers just like ordinary citizens. This demonstrated a strict and impartial enforcement of the law, applying executive policies to all individuals without political exemptions.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
During the search, the Prime Minister asked officers whether they had found anything. A police officer replied that nothing was found on him. The Prime Minister then asked for clarification regarding the general situation, asking if checkpoints in the area typically recovered anything, to which the police officer answered that only drugs were found.
"Only drugs are found."
Reports indicated that this escalation of gun control measures came after Thai society faced a continuous series of shocking violent incidents. These included a 14-year-old minor committing a shooting inside a school, a politician's son using a firearm to slap a fellow student's face, and the brazen shooting of Thongchai Yenprasert, Chief of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization, by former politician Chalong Rianreang.
The Prime Minister's willingness to undergo a personal security check at a Buriram checkpoint highlights his administration's seriousness regarding public safety and illicit drug control. Halting the issuance of P.3 and P.4 gun licenses and ending the practice of gifting firearms to village heads serve as upstream solutions to curb weapon accessibility, directly addressing rising public concerns over community safety.
To tackle the root of the problem and prevent firearms from falling into situations that could lead to repeated violence, the Prime Minister earlier issued a decisive order to suspend all firearm purchase permits known as P.3 and ownership licenses known as P.4 until the Cabinet resolves otherwise. He also instructed the Department of Provincial Administration to cancel the distribution of firearms as rewards for village headmen and kamnans to prioritize public safety.
Source: Khaosod Politics
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