BANGKOK, Thailand – A 59-year-old motorcycle taxi driver has been arrested after residents reported seeing him displaying a handgun and firing it into the air, with police later finding an unregistered firearm at his home. Police from Tha Ruea Police Station arrested the man, identified as Prasit, at a residence in Khlong Toei district on August 11 following complaints from concerned neighbors. Residents reportedly told police that the man had displayed a firearm and ammunition outside his home before allegedly firing the gun into the air. Fearing for their safety, they contacted police, who launched an investigation and searched the residence.
Officers found a black .357 Magnum handgun and a black shoulder bag at the property. During questioning, the suspect reportedly said he worked as a motorcycle taxi driver and had bought the unregistered firearm for 5,000 baht. He told police he had fired the gun only to show neighbors that he owned a firearm and denied intending to use it to commit another offence. Police charged him with possessing a firearm without permission and handed him and the seized weapon over to investigators at Tha Ruea Police Station for legal proceedings. The arrest came during heightened police efforts to prevent illegal firearm use following a recent fatal shooting at a school in Nonthaburi.
