According to investigation data from the Thai Police Department, there were over 31400 gun related cases in Thailand in a year, with over 24300 cases involving unregistered illegal firearms, accounting for 77.5% of the total cases. As one of the famous tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, the Thai people are also known as the "country of smiles" because they often smile and are extremely friendly. However, the frequent vicious shooting incidents have broken its harmonious scene, causing people to pay attention to Thailand's security issues.

Especially in the past three years, there have been frequent shooting incidents and significant casualties in Thailand: on February 8, 2020, a shooting occurred near a large shopping mall in Thailand, resulting in 30 deaths and 58 injuries. On October 6, 2022, a vicious shooting occurred at a childcare center in Thailand, where a former police officer indiscriminately shot and killed at least 38 people and injured multiple others. On October 3, 2023, a shocking shooting incident occurred at the Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok, Thailand, resulting in 3 deaths and 5 injuries. At that time, during China's National Day Golden Week and less than ten days after the implementation of the visa free policy between China and Thailand, Thai Prime Minister Saita even personally welcomed the first batch of visa free tourists to visit Thailand at the airport, demonstrating the importance attached to overseas tourists. This shooting incident has also attracted much attention, triggering investigations and discussions on Thailand's security around the world.

So, why does a country known as the 'Land of Smiles' frequently experience such shocking violent incidents? The fundamental reason is the serious problem of gun proliferation in Thailand. According to a report by the Thailand Development Institute, Thailand currently has over 10.3 million firearms, with a civilian gun ownership rate of 15.1 per 100 people. This means that in Thailand, approximately one gun is owned for every seven people, making it the highest gun ownership rate in ASEAN.

The reason why Thai people are enthusiastic about owning guns is largely influenced by historical factors. Thailand has experienced multiple military coups and political turmoil, and the military and conservative institutions advocate military and law enforcement, which has led many people to have a reverence and admiration for guns. In addition, purchasing guns requires a certain level of economic ability, so owning guns is seen as a symbol of wealth, status, and privilege, which to some extent highlights the social status of gun owners and has led to many people flocking to them.

In fact, Thailand allows its citizens to legally carry firearms. Thai citizens who are over 20 years old can apply to possess firearms by providing proof of living conditions, income, criminal record, mental health certificate, and reasons for owning firearms. The official restrictions on legal firearms are limited to hunting, sports shooting, or self-defense purposes. However, due to the lax distribution and management of firearms, there is a serious problem of illegal firearms.

According to multiple authoritative media reports, the number of illegal firearms in Thailand far exceeds that of legal firearms, and Thailand is also one of the main gun black markets in Southeast Asia. The sources of illegal firearms within the country are diverse, including smuggling from neighboring countries, domestic black market transactions, and some police officers can even purchase firearms at lower prices through the "Gun Welfare Program" within the police force and resell them on the black market.

The Thai government has taken a series of measures to strengthen regulation on the rampant problem of illegal firearms,For example, suspending the issuance of new private gun licenses for one year and implementing stricter gun control measures,Intensifying the crackdown on illegal firearms trading, etc., but solving the problem of rampant illegal firearms is not a one-time effort. It still requires joint efforts from all sectors and long-term sustained efforts to promote its implementation.