BANGKOK, Thailand – A proposed amendment to Thailand’s firearms law would require gun owners to renew licences to possess and use firearms every five years, replacing the current lifetime arrangement, under a bill now open for public comment on the Parliament website.
The draft amendment to the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation Firearms Act B.E. 2490 (1947) was submitted by Supachai Jaisamut, a member of the House of Representatives, and fellow MPs. It seeks to modernize legislation that has remained largely unchanged in key areas for decades.
One of the most significant proposals concerns licenses known as Por.4, which allow individuals to possess and use firearms for self-protection and the protection of property within their homes or residences. Under the draft, these licenses would be valid for five years rather than for the duration of ownership. The bill also proposes changes to the definitions of firearms, ammunition, fireworks and imitation firearms, alongside new provisions governing the manufacture, possession and use of regulated items.
The Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration would receive authority to issue regulations covering ammunition limits, firearm markings, license renewals, fees for late applications and the conditions under which certain applicants could receive licenses before the age of 25.
For firearms businesses, the draft would revise licensing requirements for dealers and importers, including approval procedures for firearm imports and orders. It would also extend disqualification criteria to representatives and managers of companies involved in the trade. The proposals would introduce tighter controls on imitation firearms, including rules covering their types, sizes, characteristics and muzzle velocity, as well as conditions governing their possession and carrying.
Another provision would empower local registrars to order the temporary surrender of firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks or imitation firearms for safekeeping when a license holder meets specified disqualifying conditions and possession is considered a danger to other people or their property, or when certain offences are involved.
The bill would also establish licensing, inspection and oversight requirements for shooting ranges, revise criminal penalties and introduce updated fee schedules. The draft is currently at the public consultation stage. The proposed five-year renewal requirement and other amendments would need to complete the legislative process before becoming law.
