Thailand’s gun control law: Is self-defense shooting permissible?

Friday, renowned attorney Kerdpol Kaewkerd predicted Pisit would avoid jail time by claiming self-defense.

The gold shop owner shot the robbers, injuring one. Two suspects escaped, but the injured man and another were caught. Pisit (surname omitted), a gold business owner, was criticized for close-range shooting.

The 49-year-old marksman is decorated.

This incident raised doubts about “self-defense” shootings.

In 2018, engineer Suthep Poshsomboon road-raged and killed a Chonburi teen. Suthep was fired after a child hit him in a right-of-way dispute. The court of the first instance and court of appeals sentenced Suthep to 10 years in prison for choosing an unnecessary conflict. The Supreme Court acquitted and reduced the sentence to three years and four months with parole because the shooting was self-defense.

Article 8 of Thailand’s 1947 Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks, and Imitation of Firearms Act requires ammunition to match the owner’s license. Infringers face ten years in prison or a 20,000-baht fine.

This section carries a five-year sentence and a 10,000-baht fine. “No one shall carry or conceal a weapon in any religious, festive, or other gathering place.”

Public carry of arms without a license can result in a six-month to five-year prison sentence or a 1,000-10,000 baht fine. Licensed gun owners who bring their guns to worship, entertainment, etc. risk a year in prison and 2,000 baht. Thursday’s arsenal. Pisit defended his store with a Benelli M4 tactical shotgun, The Nation reported. “John Wick: Chapter 2” heavily featured this semi-automatic shotgun. The 1998 Benelli M4 is used by Italian, US, and UK troops.