Southeast Asia school shootings highlight civilian gun access concerns

Recent school shootings in Thailand and the Philippines have sparked discussions regarding civilian firearm access and storage in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, a 14-year-old student killed his grandparents before using a handgun to kill five teachers and staff members and a 12-year-old student at a school outside Bangkok. The attacker subsequently died by suicide.

In the Philippines, a ninth-grade student in Zamboanga killed a classmate before committing suicide, using a weapon belonging to his father, a customs police official.

Data indicates that Thailand has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia. According to the Small Arms Survey, Thai civilians possessed approximately 10.3 million firearms in 2017, with roughly 4 million being unregistered. The Philippines also maintains several million firearms in civilian hands. In contrast, countries like Malaysia and Indonesia report significantly lower rates of civilian gun ownership.