Every year, on the second Saturday in January, Thailand holds their National Children’s Day. It’s an opportunity for the youth of the country to be pampered and to enjoy themselves at various events throughout the country. Museums, zoos and some tourist attractions allow them to enter for free. In Bangkok, the BTS skytrain and the MRT underground allow them to ride for free. In Samut Prakan, quite a few activities were held at the Provincial Hall (see pictures). There were various games for the children to play but there was also plenty of free things like toys and food handed out to them. There is no doubt that all Thai children look forward to Children’s Day.
As well as the government and private sector, the Thai Armed Forces also opened their barracks for the day for the children to enter. I took these pictures at the Royal Thai Naval Academy in Samut Prakan this morning. They had a lot of activities arranged for the children. Everything from star-gazing to marine life. However, what many of the Thai boys were interested in were the guns. There seems to be a fascination with guns in Thailand that I am starting to find alarming. Did you know that 79% of all homicides in Thailand are committed with a gun? Not only that, but in a UN survey on crime trends, Thailand was rated as having the highest number of homicides with firearms.
In Thailand, all policemen carry a firearm. Even the traffic cops. They also apparently carry their guns while off duty. One thing is for sure, don’t get into an argument with a drunk at a restaurant. You just don’t know whether he is carrying a gun. There is even a recorded case of a foreign tourist being shot by an off-duty policeman. Technical students are also carrying guns now. Even though these are mainly pen guns, they still kill as we found out recently when a schoolgirl got killed by a stray bullet. Even when they are not angry, people seem to like to play with their guns. During the recent new year holiday, a number of people fired their guns into the air. But, what goes up also comes down. At least one young girl was killed while sleeping in her bed and another badly injured.
This morning I posted a picture on my Facebook (see here) of two young Thai kids being shown by soldiers how to hold sniper rifles. I commented that I didn’t think that it was a good idea to arrange such an activity on Children’s Day. Although a few said there was no harm in letting the children have some fun by handling the guns, most people agreed that guns are not toys and we shouldn’t be confusing kids by saying it is alright to play with guns. One person on my Facebook page said that she disagrees with the saying “guns don’t kill, people do”. I agree with her. There is only one reason that guns were invented and that is to kill. Just look at the statistics. An average of 41.4 people are killed with guns in Thailand per 100,000 of the population.
What do you think about all of this? Is it just harmless fun or are we creating a bigger problem for ourselves in the future?
Source of statistics: nationmaster.com and wikipedia
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The kids really enjoyed!!!
The recent violence in Thailand makes this look worse than it actually is. Boys love to play soldier and if there is an opportunity to see a soldier up close and hold a real gun most will be excited to do so. I myself detest gun violence and I think soldiering is a horrible vocation. But if I had the chance to fire one of those bad boys I certainly wouldn’t pass it up.
Problem isn’t guns. It’s the Thai inability to keep emotions in check and maturely walk away from a problem.
I think we should start with not allowed to obtain guns easily in Thailand first.
BKKBASE – That’s not an accurate generalization. Culturally, jai yen yen is still very prevalent in Thai society.
The problem is the jai yen yen. There is no way to release steam gradually so Thai’s explode all at once.
It is OK. The children love the military in Thailand. Would hate for them not to have the chance. Guns are part of life.
The main thing that I have a problem with are my pictures of the kids with the sniper guns. It wasn’t that long ago when snipers on the streets of Bangkok were shooting at unarmed protectors. Some of them, like the foreign journalist, had already been shot several times and were on the ground.
Not jut Thailand, it’s a problem across Asia. Conflict avoidance + ‘face’ = emotional immaturity/volatility
“The problem is the jai yen yen.”
And add a little alcohol …… the explosion becomes even more unpredictable!
Soldiers are slaves… paid and trained to follow orders without thinking or question
In Burma, Thailand and other military controlled countries the soldiers are used by their greedy commanders to repress and kill their own people
Democratically elected governments have the authority of the people to control and manage the country for the benefit of the people. A democratic government exists at the will of the people and must perform for the people otherwise the people will vote against them at the next election.
Democracy means all government institutions and agencies, including the military, monarchy, judiciary operate as directed by the government and may only engage in duties as directed by the government. In democratic countries the military is forbidden to operate within the country and any interference with the civilian population is subject to civilian law.
King Chulalongkorns introduction of western government structures stopped short of relinquishing absolute powers of the monarchy. Except briefly in 1932, Thailand has suffered a schizophrenic illness that has allowed Thai (and US under-cover) military forces to pervert Thai traditional and cultural practices to support their own greedy power and wealth on the backs of a beautiful and creative population.
the military generals are happy to brainwash the kids as future slaves preserving Thai elite wealth and privilege.
I first fired a rifle at the age of four from the verandah of or place north of Sydney – we had no neighbours back then – it was a BSA 177 and I still have it, stored in a strong metal safe in my house.
Now the laws are so tough but when MY son turned twelve I took him to Belmont and showed him about firearms and safety. That day (afer his twelvth birthday) he fired many rounds from a Ruger 308 and SMLE 303 – similar to the ones in the photos you post.
Shortly after that he was staying sleepover with a friend from a local family and that friend took him into their Dad’s shed and showed my boy a 12-guage, sawnoff. My son took it, pointed it downward and opened it and ejected two big red shells then handed it back, telling his friend of the consequences had they played with this and chastising his mate to never regard this as a toy. Possibly averted a mis-hap that day. Told me it was just as well he knew how firearms worked…
To this day I will always shot rifles and always will. I sometimes have ago with sidearms at Phuket and at BKK and enjoy this when I come to Land Of Smiles.
I have a good character, have respectable job, never in trouble. I would NEVER consider using a firearm to hurt or do harm to any living being, either for my own purpose or (worse still) upon orders of someone else. Paper targets and empty cans are the best fun. If I had evil on my mind I could go to any pub in the western suburbs and have a black-market Glock in about a minute, anyhow.
Australia has very tough laws since 1996 and the entire mainstream/ middle class society is turning into a nation of pansies whilst other violent crime with knives and unregistered/ smuggled firearms abounds among the fringes.
More worrying, the place is turning into a gov’t-sponsored police state. Cops shoot and Taze more civilians than ever before.
I would feel safer ANYDAY in BKK or anywhere in LOS than I ever would in Sydney, for example – I visit every year since 1988 and still come.
But remember – for the Thai to defend themselves is a birthright. If somebody else starts something the Thai will finish it everytime.
Hence I come with grace and respect and with and hope to always do so.
And – finally – I would not consider owning a gun in a country like Thailand or USA. So many others around; as if it would make any difference.
hello im thai i work in royal thai army im that guy on the last phote show that boy whit the m-16
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