Pakorn to submit Thai gun law amendment to cabinet in mid-september
Deputy PM Pakorn Nilprapan prepares to submit amendments to Thailand's firearm act to the cabinet in mid-September 2026, stating amnesties fail without systemic reform.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Pakorn Nilprapan will submit the Thai firearm act amendment to the cabinet in mid-September 2026.
- He noted that gun amnesties fail without a complete overhaul of the registration system.
- Illegal firearms in Thailand are categorized into three main types including smuggled and unregistered guns.
On August 20, 2026, at Thailand Government House, Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs Pakorn Nilprapan discussed the ongoing progress regarding amendments to Thailand's Firearm Act, stating that resolving firearm issues requires more than just modifying legal statutes. He emphasized that Thailand shares land and maritime borders with neighboring countries that still face domestic instability, leading to continuous illegal weapons smuggling across borders into Thailand.
The previous Firearm Act, enacted in Buddhist Era 2490 (1947), primarily regulates legal imports but contains significant regulatory loopholes. Firearms are divided into legally owned and illegal categories, requiring a comprehensive reform to interconnect the central gun registration database. Previously, various agencies issued permits independently without proper integration, and gun shops in Thailand lacked legal liability obligations regarding safety oversight.
Pakorn further detailed that illegal firearms in Thailand comprise three distinct categories: weapons and ammunition smuggled across borders, legally purchased guns that were never registered for ownership permits, and locally improvised firearms. Furthermore, shooting ranges across Thailand—currently overseen by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT)—require stricter regulatory oversight to ensure cohesive system management.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"Resolving firearm issues requires more than just modifying legal statutes. Thailand shares land and maritime borders with neighboring countries that still face domestic instability, leading to continuous illegal weapons smuggling."
The Thai Ministry of Interior, in consultation with the Office of the Council of State, proposed tightening internal firearm controls through structural reforms, permit issuance improvements, and strict shooting range management. Additionally, a measure will allow individuals to surrender firearms to Thai authorities without facing legal penalties if they are uncertain of their legal status. This approach mirrors previous amnesty attempts that yielded limited results due to the lack of fundamental systemic overhauls, alongside stringent border enforcement.
This legislative push to amend Thailand's Firearm Act reflects government efforts to close nearly 80-year-old regulatory gaps. Interconnecting firearm databases and regulating shooting ranges are critical steps since past criminal incidents often involved untraced weapons. Emphasizing weapon surrender policies over costly government buyback programs provides a practical fiscal approach for Thai state administration.
Regarding the conceptual government firearm buyback scheme, discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Interior and the Council of State due to high budgetary requirements, as low buyback prices would discourage returns. The Ministry of Interior instead advised encouraging voluntary weapon surrenders without penalty. Meanwhile, military and police service firearms in Thailand are subject to administrative preventive measures against leakage.
Following the public hearing via the Thai central legal system ending on September 10, 2026, the draft legislation will undergo secondary consultations before submission to the Thai Cabinet under Section 19 of the Legislation Drafting Act, with presentation expected by mid-September 2026.
Source: Khaosod Politics
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