Most Americans exist within a kind of bubble of isolation. It’s a secure and solid environment that only allows a specific type of information transfer to the citizens. As such Americans are constantly fed a rich and steady diet of propaganda. With is designed to [1] make them feels special and unique, while at the same time, [2] designed to make them fearful of the rest of the world. This propaganda machine is enormous and has completely absorbed just about every news outlet in America from the mainstream to all the outlying fringe sources.
There are so many aspects to this intense degree of control that it would take a couple of lifetimes of writing to even begin to touch the subject matter at hand. Instead, I’m just gonna take bites and chunks out of it as I deem fit. And in this post we are going to blow-up the notion that “America is exceptional because it has a Bill of Rights that includes the Right to bear arms“.
This is yet another fallacy that needs to be revisited. Being exceptional” has nothing to do with what ever “Rights” a government allows you to possess. And the idea that “The Bill of Rights” still exists is laughable. It doesn’t. But most importantly is the idea that ONLY in America can you own and possess guns and firearms. It’s a lie. You can live in numerous other nations and own firearms as well.
It’s just that they aren’t so worried about their government infringing on their ability to own guns. They don’t.
So we never hear about them. There are no news articles about them, and there isn’t billions of federal funds for “studies”, and “Blue Ribbon Panels” looking into the “Gun Control Issue”.
Let’s look at a nation that has more freedoms than what’s present in America. Let’s look at Thailand. The “Land of Smiles”. And let’s look at the ability for local citizens to buy, sell, possess and use guns; firearms, and weapons. Let’s look at what real freedom is like. Shall we?
No Gun Control
One of the things about stable nations is that they tend to let their people own firearms. Those nations that disarm their populace tend to do so for tyrannical reasons (yes, and this includes Australia and the UK). Did I upset you, the reader’s sensibilities, well then… good!
Thailand trusts it’s people. They are permitted to possess firearms.
Consider that in your calculus.
A country that loves pick-up trucks, 7-Eleven convenience stores, and has a special relationship with guns. No, not America. I’m talking about Thailand, a country better known for its beaches, warm weather, and friendly people. Turns out, it also has a thriving gun culture. Shooting is popular and primarily targeted at self-defense training. Guns are easily available, shooting ranges are commonplace, and gun regulations are lax.
Gun Ownership in Thailand
With a population of 67 million people and an estimated 10 million firearms, Thailand doesn’t come close to the number of guns owned in the United States, which has more guns than people.
Still, gun ownership is popular in Thailand.
In fact, of those 10 million firearms in Thailand only roughly 6 million guns are officially registered, meaning likely over 4 million guns are in illegal possession. Illegal firearms ownership is said to be particularly high in the southern border regions between Thailand and Malaysia, which has seen ongoing separatist insurgency and rebellion over the past ten years.
Gun Licensing & Regulations
In Thailand, the right to private gun ownership is not guaranteed by law. Neither is the right to hunt.
Thai citizens, as well as foreigners with a residency permit, can apply for a firearms license, which is granted if a person’s personal conduct, criminal record, living conditions and income don’t raise red flags during a background check by local authorities. A legitimate reason for a license being granted can be self-defense, property protection, hunting, or sport shooting.
Firearms safety classes are not required, and the license costs only 500-1000 Baht (15-30 USD) depending on the province in which the license is issued.
One license is required per firearm, and unlike US states with instant background checks, that license generally takes two weeks to issue and requires registration of the gun after the purchase no matter if it is a private sale or a gun shop sale.
Citizens are not allowed to carry guns in public unless they hold a carry license, which contrary to everybody’s claims doesn’t seem too difficult to attain, at least judging from newspaper headlines such as “man accidentally shot ex-wife with Uzi in restaurant”. State agencies keep a record of every firearms license and carry license issued as well as a record of every gun and whom it is registered to.
Guns on the Thai Market
Thailand doesn’t have its own small arms industry so gun shops sell mostly American imports. European models are less common because most European countries do not issue export licenses to Thailand due to the on-going separatist insurgency in the southern provinces.
Glock and Sig Sauer pistols available in Thailand have US markings rather than being Austrian or German made.
Used 1911 pistols for sale seem to be military excess.
Prices are typically 2-3 times the US retail price. This premium price is a result of the cost for the export permit in the country of origin, secure international shipping, and import fees into Thailand as well as high margins at the gun stores.
Civilian possession of automatic or semi-automatic rifles is illegal, but gun stores stock them since police and military frequent these stores.
Semi-automatic .22LR carbine are excluded from the ban because there is a loophole that allows semi-automatic small caliber rifles. Interestingly the possession of an air gun requires a firearms permit while airsoft BB guns can be bought anywhere.
The Black Market
There is a black market of military-issue guns that have somehow found their way into civilian hands. Some believe that the Thai government provided guns to the southern provinces to arm the counter-insurgents and “defense volunteers” fighting the separatists. Other illegal guns cross the border into Thailand from surrounding countries.
Thai Police Service Pistols
Police officers are not issued service pistols and have to buy a gun to use on-duty out of pocket. I have seen officers carry a mishmash of Glock 19, Sig Sauer P226, Colt 1911M1 as well as really old revolvers and .22LR pistols (yes, seriously) as their sidearm. I have also seen one police officer with an empty holster (Don’t bring an empty holster to a gun fight!).
If an officer can’t afford a gun when they are fresh on the force, they can apply for a loan from the police union and pay it back in monthly installments. Sig Sauer seems to try to penetrate the Thai law enforcement market in a similar way Glock did in the 90’s and continues to do in the US by offering the P320 at very low cost to police officers directly, bypassing the middlemen. These guns are being sold in Thailand close to US retail price.
Shooting Ranges in Thailand
Shooting ranges can be found all over the country not far from temples and bars, palm trees and beaches. Due to the warm climate, these are all outdoor ranges where paper targets, steel plates and IPSC courses are shot. Human silhouette shooting is permitted, as self-defense is a legitimate reason to own and shoot a gun in Thailand.
At the beaches of Ao Nang and in the mountains of Chiang Mai you can find typical shooting ranges.
There, 30 bullets cost 1700 Baht (45 USD) including the rental gun. Typical guns to select from include the Glock 34, Sig Sauer 226 Elite, 1911, Glock 34 IPSC open tuning, CZ 75 and Makarov or.22lr pistols and revolvers.
Shooting ranges are heavily frequented by tourists, posing with pistols held sideways, with shotguns and an ammunition belt wrapped around their neck, or hamming it up with a big revolver.
The Thai IPSC shooters were quietly practicing on a stage set up on the other end of the range, protected by thick concrete walls from stray bullets fired by tourists holding a .357 super-magnum, blowing the smoke from the burning oil off the tip of the barrel, pointed to the sky like Dirty Harry, while his friend was taking a picture of this experience of a lifetime on his phone.
Why bring this up…
When someone is trying to disarm you, you have a duty to question their motives.
Most Americans haven’t a clue as to how the rest of the world operates, and they in their ignorance, think that America is “best”. Well, sorry, it is not. Don’t go a knocking the way Thai’s or the Chinese live their lives.
Just remember, when an enormous government wants to disarm you, and your family “for your safety”, you have a duty to question their motives.
Ultimately, I can’t show cause and effect for events that occurred years ago. But here is some history that you can research for yourself. This is what CAN happen when the people are disarmed, regardless of how much time passes before it actually occurs. Ask yourself this: can events like this even happen if the people are armed?
1911, Turkey
Established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, were rounded up and exterminated. Search Armenian Genocide.
1929, Soviet Union
Established gun control. In 1937, about 2million dissidents, including 30000 military officers, were rounded up and imprisoned or executed. Search The Great Purges
1935, China
Established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents were rounded up and exterminated.
1938, Germany
Established gun control. From 1939 to 1945, leaving a populace unable to defend itself against the Gestapo and SS. Hundreds of thousands died as a result.
“The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let’s not have any native militia or native police. German troops alone will bear the sole responsibility for the maintenance of law and order throughout the occupied Russian territories, and a system of military strong-points must be evolved to cover the entire occupied country.” - Adolf Hitler, dinner talk on April 11, 1942, quoted in Hitler’s Table Talk 1941-44: His Private Conversations, Second Edition, Pg. 425-426.
1956, Cambodia
Established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, 1-2 million ‘educated’ people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. SPECIAL NOTE: The law was passed in 1956, but was not used for 20 years. But it WAS used.
1964, Guatemala
Established gun control. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
1970, Uganda
Established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. The total dead are said to be 2-3 million.
Links
- Gun.in.th – For Gun Lovers In Thailand … – – Index page
- Thailand’s gun laws and statistics: A brief overview …
- Guns in Thailand — Firearms, gun law and gun control
- Tranquil Thailand’s Gun Culture in Spotlight
- Gun Law of Thailand
- Bangkok Shooting Range – 2020 All You Need to Know …
- Tiffany’s Indoor Shooting Range in Pattaya
- Kong’s GUN SHOP Thailand – Home | Facebook
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