The government is preparing to overhaul firearms laws and modernize licensing controls, covering the import, sale, possession, and use of firearms, as well as ammunition and the premises where firearms are used.

Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt said technology will be used to link firearms records and enable authorities to conduct more thorough checks, replacing a system that still relies heavily on paper records and fragmented information. An estimated 10 million firearms are currently held by people in Thailand, and the government does not plan to approve any increase in that number.

Gun dealers would take greater responsibility for screening prospective buyers, including checks on behavioral history and mental health, while government agencies would apply tighter licensing scrutiny. The Interior Ministry has also proposed allowing people with illegal or unregistered firearms to surrender them to authorities.

Pakorn also addressed the use of firearms as pawnshop collateral, which is already illegal because gun licenses are issued to specific individuals and cannot be transferred through such arrangements. Unlawfully held firearms may be surrendered without waiting for new legislation as authorities work to improve licensing, verification, and monitoring nationwide.