High-ranking official, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin marked his presence at the Siam Paragon shopping complex. A tribute was offered to the victims who tragically lost their lives in the shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday. His touch point with the general public was carried out via the medium of the X account, previously known as Twitter, where he shared his directives to government bodies.
In response to the tragic incident that killed two people and injured five at the Siam Paragon shopping mall on Tuesday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has instructed key government bodies to devise preventive strategies. His orders were clear and forthright, stating that a repetition of such violence at the shopping mall must be avoided under any circumstances.
The unfortunate shootout that unravelled on Tuesday afternoon claimed the lives of two foreign individuals originating from China and Myanmar. This tragic event also saw injuries being inflicted upon five others, among them were nationals from China and Lao. Post-shootout, a 14-year-old suspect was apprehended and charged with multiple offenses including premeditated murder, attempted murder, unauthorized possession of firearms and ammunition, unlicensed carrying of a weapon, and discharging rounds in a public setting.
Mr Srettha took to his X account, extending his condolences to the grieving families of the victims. His sympathies were expressed to the Chinese ambassador Han Zhiqiang on Tuesday night, and he was thanked by the Chinese diplomat for the immediate action taken by Thai officials.
Exclusive attention was given to tourist safety by the embassy of China. They urged the government to pose strict measures aiming at ensuring the safety of tourists and in turn curbing any repercussions on tourism. To this, he made a solemn promise that public safety measures would be amplified to secure the safety of all visitors in the region.
In furtherance of his empathetic actions, Mr Srettha made direct contact with the Lao ambassador stationed in Thailand to brief him about the shooting where a Lao national was injured. Further discussions on the situation took place with the present Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara.
Taking to the stage at “SCBX NEXT TECH” held at Siam Paragon on Wednesday, Mr Srettha expressed his belief in the understanding of tourists towards the situation. He reassured them that coordinated efforts between the government bodies would promptly restore the public’s confidence.
Measures to enhance public safety have taken a technological approach with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society deploying an emergency alert system. In accordance with this, the police will also take the plunge to curb the online sale of firearms where young individuals have easy access.
An emergency mechanism was triggered by the Chinese embassy in Bangkok. They worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Thai authorities in monitoring the situation post the alert of the Tuesday shooting, where a Chinese national was killed and another was injured. A conference led by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, noted the creation of a situation command centre. This centre would act as a communication intermediary with the respective embassies ensuring that information flow and assistance to tourists are carried out seamlessly.
As part of this endeavour, a meeting was convened between the ministry, police, and the Tourism and Sports Ministry. The agenda of the meeting was to brainstorm on safety measures for tourists and methods to restore the mental health of the victims affected by the shooting. Further assistance was extended to offer the affected tourists the best possible care, in an attempt to normalize the ongoing situation.
Deep condolences, on behalf of the government, were extended by Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakitkosol to the families of the victims. Help was assured for the affected individuals and their families by the government. State care is being provided at the royal patronage for the five individuals that were injured during the incident. She highlighted concerns that the present scenario might cast a shadow over the confidence of Chinese and Kazakh tourists’ eagerness to visit Thailand. However, remedying the circumstances by enhancing safety at popular tourist destinations is under way.
In continuation, the Central Juvenile and Family Court demanded the 14-year-old suspect to be committed to the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection’s custody. The mandatory mental health check of the suspect was also ordered by the department. The conspicuous absence of the parents who did not turn up for the bail plea, was rather surprising.
Public attention was drawn, as Police Major Gen Nakharin Sukhonthawit, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 6, speculated whether the parents of the suspect would be accountable under the children protection law. A consortium featuring mental health doctors from the Hospital, psychologists, and public prosecutors took part in the interrogation. They collectively agreed that the suspect was mentally unfit to provide a statement.
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