Thailand's government has suspended the issuing of new gun permits following a mass shooting at a school in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok, in which a 14-year-old killed eight people and then himself. The move follows an earlier ban on existing licence-holders carrying weapons in public, and comes as the prime minister pledges to fast-track tougher gun control legislation with harsher penalties, reflecting growing pressure to tackle Thailand's high rate of civilian gun ownership and gun crime.

Police say the pupil, from Debsirin Nonthaburi School, first shot his grandparents with his grandfather's handgun before opening fire at staff and students, killing five teachers and a 12-year-old girl in addition to his grandparents. Investigators believe he may have taught himself to use the weapon via social media, having shown a strong interest in guns and consumed violent online content, possibly compounded by anxiety over schoolwork and family issues. Thailand has around 10.3 million civilian-owned firearms, and authorities are now considering incentives for the estimated four million unlicensed gun owners to surrender their weapons, alongside proposals for school entrance screening to prevent weapons being brought onto campus.