Interior Ministry weighs penalty-free surrender of illegal firearms
The draft targets gaps in registration, licensing, dealer oversight, shooting-range controls and the handling of illegal firearms.
- The Ministry of Interior is in discussions to allow individuals to surrender illegal firearms to authorities without facing criminal penalties.
- The goal of this potential amnesty program is to bring unregistered weapons that are outside the system back under state control.
- A gun buyback program is also being considered, but the ministry's preliminary view favors a simple surrender to avoid the substantial cost and financial burden of a buyback.
Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt provided an update on the drafting of Thailand’s new firearms bill, saying preparations were underway to submit it to the Cabinet around mid-September 2026 after the consultation process conducted through the Central Legal System (Law Portal) concludes on Thursday (September 10, 2026).
Once the consultation closes, the submissions will be used in drafting the bill, which will then be opened for another round of consultation before being submitted to the Cabinet.
The changes are intended to close loopholes in the Firearms Act, which has been in force since 1947, and create a more integrated firearms-control system.
Pakorn added that addressing firearms problems could not rely on legal amendments alone and must be accompanied by strict border monitoring and efforts to intercept the smuggling of firearms and ammunition into the country.
One of the bill’s key elements is a reform of firearms registration and possession licensing.
Until now, agencies have operated separate licensing systems, without linked data or effective tracking and monitoring mechanisms.
The law also lacks a clear provision requiring firearms retailers to share responsibility for maintaining safety and security.
The bill also seeks to address firearms purchased legally but not registered by their holders, causing the weapons to become illegal.
The review will cover every stage from registration, licensing and possession to firearm use, alongside tighter oversight of firearms dealers.
The regulation of shooting ranges is another key issue.
Pakorn noted that there is currently no clearly defined system of control and oversight, and that the entire framework must be reviewed to establish clearer control measures and operating standards.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has held discussions with the Council of State on allowing holders of illegal firearms to surrender them to the authorities without facing criminal penalties, to bring firearms outside the system back under state control.
The idea of a gun buyback remains under discussion.
The Ministry of Interior’s preliminary view is that allowing the public to hand in firearms may be more appropriate, as a buyback would require substantial funding and could burden the government.
Pakorn said the revision would overhaul the entire firearms-control system, covering registration, licensing, dealers, shooting ranges and the handling of illegal firearms, to close loopholes in the existing law and improve public safety over the long term.
