There are facts that, by this time, are no longer new to Thai society. 

Thailand, despite supposedly strict gun control laws, still has high firearm ownership rates due to the illegal trade. Mass shootings are rare, but gun violence itself not particularly so. These facts are repeated in news articles every time there is a deadly episode of mass shooting in the country.

And that previous sentence alone illustrates the issue: in four years, this is the third mass shooting to have occurred in Thailand. The mass shooting at Terminal 21 mall in Nakhon Ratchasima happened in 2020, shocking a nation totally unused to such a horrific scene. Then, a year ago this month, the mass shooting at a nursery in Nong Bua Lumphu proved to be even deadlier.

Then came Tuesday’s shooting at Siam Paragon. The number of injuries and deaths, thankfully, are lower than the previous two mass shootings. But there is something about this shooting that will feel different to many Thais.

Click here to read the full piece at Thai Enquirer.