Thailand Mourns After Day Care Mass Shooting: Live Updates

A mere 2.3 percent of Thailand’s health expenditures are allocated for mental health, according to the World Health Organization. Thailand, with a population of about 70 million, had only 656 psychiatrists and 422 psychologists in the entire country, according to the W.H.O.’s Mental Health Atlas 2020. The Royal Thai Police has approximately 220,000 officers.

The trial of Mr. Panya was scheduled for Friday. The 9-millimeter pistol that was used in the attack was legally his, according to police.

“He abused drugs and was very stressed and upset about his career, his position, his status,” said Kritsanapong Phutrakul, the chair of the faculty of criminology and justice administration at Rangsit University and a police lieutenant colonel. “To reduce the risk to Thai society, his gun should have been taken away from him when he was fired.”

Many aspects of Thai society are subject to military-style hierarchies, including schools and offices. The chains of command can leave lower rank-and-file people with little recourse if they disagree with superiors’ orders.

Outside the security forces themselves, the military’s influence is profound. Prayuth Chanocha, Thailand's prime minister, is a former army chief, who was overthrown in a coup. His deputy is also an ex-army chief.

The nation is trained to pay respect to the Thai royal family. In a submissive position, courtiers crawl across the floor before senior royals. A notoriously tough lèse-majesté law makes it a crime to defame senior members of the monarchy, and a long list of people have been jailed for such offenses.

Students protested against institutional rigidities in recent years. They first demanded an end to rules regarding hairstyles and dress. The protests grew to include calls for reforms to both the government and the monarchy.

This rigid society may have contributed to the escalation of what was, until Thursday, the deadliest mass shooting in Thai history by one perpetrator. Sgt. Sgt. He was angered by a financial dispute with the family of his superior officer, according to the country’s then army chief. Friends told him that members of the family refused to pay him the money he owed. He told friends that he had exhausted all options.

The authorities shot the soldier dead, ending the attack. After killing civilians on a military base, questions remained about the motive behind his attack on civilians in a shopping mall.

Two people were killed when a Bangkok police lieutenant general opened fire at a military school.

“From a security risk perspective, we have to better check the mental health of people who own guns,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kritsanapong.