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OCTOBER 2022

​RIP: Behind Senseless Carnage in Nong Bua Lamphu

October 6 = RIP

Unfortunately, October 6 was madness and not the usual, happy, crazy madness often associated with Thailand. Today is a somber day and if you haven’t heard, on October 6, an ex-policeman went on a killing spree at a day care center, killing a total of 37 people. Of this total, 24 preschool children  all 3-4 years of age were killed. 

I am not easily affected but this is much different. I am in a state of shock and this will not be something people easily forget; it is sad, unnecessary and tragic and to be honest, it makes me think about my own kids when they were in preschool. The kids were always happy and curious and just starting their lives.

I will not say the killers name as he should not gain one iota of notoriety from his actions.

To give you an idea of where this took place, start in Udon Thani City Center, then head west on Highway 210 and om about an hour you’ll reach Nong Bua Lamphu. Many years ago I lived in between the two for about a year.

The name of the school is the song Nong Bua Lamphu Child Development Center or Soon Pattana Dek Lek Tambol U Thai Sawan. At approximately 12:40pm, the killer arrived at the school and began looking for his son. However, his son was at home with his mother. When the killer could not find him, he proceeded to shoot several of the staff, then stabbed an 8-month pregnant woman. He then tried to get into a locked room where the children were napping. The door was locked so he then broke a window, unlocked the room and began slashing and hacking the innocent, sleeping children.

He obliterated their lives and their family's lives in a few short moments. After he was done at the day care center he drove off in his white truck, rammed another car hard enough to shear off his bumper and then began shooting and killing several people as he sped off. He then drove to his house, killed his wife and son and then took the cowards way out and pulling the trigger, killing himself.

Only a day later, a copycat trying to get into a school to take a child away from his wife was stopped by police. The man was high on methamphetamines and carrying a pistol and rifle.  Back in 2020, Nakhon Ratchasima, a Thai solider went on a rampage killing 27 and wounding 57. Last month in Bangkok, a soldier shot and killed two of his colleagues. 

Mass shootings are uncommon, gun violence is not. It’s far more common. Thailand has approximately 10 million guns in the country, 6 million legal and 4 million illegal. Getting a gun is nowhere near as easy as it is in the United States, nevertheless, calls are coming from the public and the to review and revise gun laws in the country.

Unfortunately mass shootings are extremely difficult to stop. Police can't be everywhere and all it takes is one nutcase armed with a weapon
​to wreak havoc upon a community. ​​​