Thailand tops ASEAN in estimated civilian gun ownership as school shootings renew debate

Thailand had an estimated 10.342 million firearms in civilian hands in 2017, the highest estimated rate of civilian gun ownership among ASEAN countries, according to data from the Small Arms Survey.

The estimate equated to 15.1 firearms for every 100 people, based on a population of 68.298 million. Of the total, 6,221,180 firearms were estimated to be registered and 4,120,820 unregistered.

The figures have returned to public attention after two school shootings in Thailand in 2026 prompted renewed calls for tighter firearm controls. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pledged new measures after an August 7 attack at Debsirin Nonthaburi School near Bangkok.

Authorities said a 14-year-old student carried out the attack after an incident at his grandparents’ home. The firearm involved was legally registered to the teenager’s grandfather.

The earlier shooting took place on February 11 at Patongprathankiriwat School in Hat Yai, Songkhla. A 17-year-old entered the school after taking a firearm from a police officer, killing the school director and injuring two other people before being taken into custody.

Thailand’s estimated rate was more than three times Cambodia’s rate of 4.5 firearms per 100 people. The Philippines was estimated at 3.6, Laos at 3.0, Myanmar and Vietnam at 1.6, Brunei at 1.4, Malaysia at 0.7, and Singapore and Timor-Leste at 0.3. Indonesia’s rate rounded to 0.0 per 100 people.

The Small Arms Survey data are estimates for 2017, not a count of firearm ownership in 2026. They measure firearms held by civilians rather than the proportion of people who own guns, meaning one person may possess more than one firearm.

The survey says its global database uses government information, surveys and expert assessments. Unregistered firearms are particularly difficult to quantify.