Gold shop robbery: Is it time for an armed mall owner to stop the robber himself? – BBC News Thailand

The shooting scene between the owner of a gold shop in Tak province and four villains on December 8 became a big news that all media followed closely. But for a retired female gold shop owner in Songkhla province, this outrageous robbery was a personal matter and a cause for concern.

A retired former university professor picked up a shop shotgun to take pictures. which the son posted on social media to show that Own a gold shop nowadays must know how to protect themselves when disaster comes

“I went to learn how to shoot a gun. learn to protect Because I opened a gold shop, ”Ploykanok Khunchamnan, owner of the Ploykanok gold shop in Songkhla province, told BBC Thai. After a post in which her son uploaded a picture of her holding a gun It quickly attracted a huge amount of attention, being shared almost 10,000 times in less than 3 hours.

On December 8, 4 men riding motorcycles came to park in front of Thong Yaowarat shop. In the middle of Muang District, Tak Province, opposite Tak Pittayakom School before pulling the gun to shoot the glass door Open the way and kick the glass into the shop. before trying to use a grinding machine to try to cut the bars to rob the gold

Mr. Pisit Rapitphan, the owner of the said gold shop see everything in front of you therefore decided to follow the strategy learned Grab a shotgun brand Benelli Model M4 A1 Entry (Benelli M4 A1 Entry) to shoot in the sky first. and followed by the 2nd and 3rd shots to threaten

CCTV footage released through the media showed the assailant trying to run towards the motorcycle. to drive away But the car did not start. At the same time, one of the criminals turned his gun and fired back in. Mr. Pisit then fired back. As a result, one villain was seriously injured.

Later, the police arrested another assailant, while the other two, who were Hmong and Burmese, were still at large.

Mr. Pisit opened his heart to Thai PBS that Acted only for self-defense. and has always been fully careful “I want it to be an example case. Let the gold shop owner protect himself to the fullest. And practice shooting practice often because now bad economy Can’t trust anyone.”

Ploykanok has watched the events in Tak province. agreed with Mr. Pisit that It’s time for the owner of the gold shop to have self-defense skills.

“At first I thought it wasn’t okay. (with Mr. Pisit firing a gun like that),” Ploykanok said. If it’s self-defense, you can do it.”

“The store owner shot the ceiling first. It was a threat. But instead, he shot the garden in. It’s considered self-defense.”

Kanokphon started opening a gold shop in Songkhla two years ago during the COVID epidemic. She later retired from her job as a teacher. therefore came out to open a gold shop with her husband also retired

At that time, the two guns that her husband used were welfare rights from the Department of Provincial Administration. Bought to keep in possession is a Beretta shotgun. and a Sig Sauer pistol. Has become a shop gun by keeping ammunition separate And only you, your husband, and your son have access.

“We already have defensive guns. and has an area of ​​two rai So decided to open a gold shop, ”she told BBC Thai. ready to add that The security system has been installed according to all standards of gold shops. both safety glass A door that must be pressed before it can be opened. Including steel bars

When deciding to open a gold shop, Ploykanok decided to study and practice shooting. to be a self-defense skill as well as her husband and son. Each of them has a license to use firearms and ammunition.

but she admits If there is a situation like Tak province, she will tell the store staff not to fight and to survive.

“If there is an emergency, we have to be prepared. There is an escape route Live first.” since the opening of the gold shop There has never been any hijacking or robbery. and noted that provinces adjacent to the border Is there a risk of this happening more often?

Another factor is the problem of illegal guns scattered around the city. that makes people with bad intentions own guns and can be easily used to cause as seen in the news of the robbery of gold shops/departments frequently

Thais are as interested in guns as they are food, travel, and IT products. It is one of the most popular content on the YouTube channel. Thailand’s Facebook Each episode presented Calling hundreds of thousands of viewers in less than a week And it’s not surprising that Thailand has the most guns in Southeast Asia.

A report released in June 2018 by the Small Arms Survey (SAS), an organization that collects data on light arms around the world, reveals that Thailand has around 10.3 million firearms, making it the 13th highest in the world compared to 1 United States with up to 393.9 million cylinders

compared to other countries in ASEAN Thailand has the highest number of firearms, followed by the Philippines with 3.9 million and Vietnam with 1.5 million.

Of the 10.3 million guns in Thailand, the SAS said only 6.2 million were legally registered. And the remaining 4.1 million are unregistered illegal guns.

BBC Thai used to talk to Kochanok Suta or “Nam Ing”, a 32-year-old female host who produces videos about guns.

Each of her videos There are tens of thousands to millions of visitors, saying She first became interested in guns when she went to a shooting range with a friend for the first time five years ago.

“In the past, there was no interest in guns. But I have a friend who likes to shoot guns and persuades me to go to the shooting range. After trying to shoot and take a clip to post on Facebook Become a viral trend Tens of thousands of people share from which we fire a submachine gun And hit the target in the center for all 10 shots. At that time, there should not be a woman who shoots a gun like this in the online world. Therefore, it is a very popular trend, ”said Kochanok.

Kochanok thinks that is part of what makes the program about guns so popular. Because it is easy for Thai people to access guns as civilians. But after the shooting incident in Nong Bua Lam Phu occurred This makes issuing licenses to buy and own firearms much more difficult.

“Besides easy access The increase in Thai people’s interest in gun-related content is because our country has more unexpected incidents of violence. Causing people to start to see that firearms have merits or demerits. And owning a lot of guns would be good or not?”

The controversial issue in society after the shooting incident in Tak Province is the action of the owner of the gold shop. shooting at villains Is it beyond reason?

Kerdphol Kaewpol, a famous lawyer Commented through a personal Facebook that The behavior of the owner of the gold shop may seem excessive. But when considering the CCTV from various angles, it was seen that the culprit turned the gun in the direction that he might enter the storefront, it was considered that “there is a danger that violates the law. The owner of the shop can shoot for defense, not illegal, not preventing more than incidents.”

Corresponds to an interview with Thai PBS by Mr. Kosolwat Intuchanyong, deputy spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General, who pointed out that the important point to prove this suspicion is “The danger has ended or not,” according to the criminal proceedings. empower investigators to investigate the facts because only the clip that the public sees at this time It’s still not enough to prove it.

Lawyer Ratchaphon Sirisakorn, another famous lawyer, has a different view that if the culprit is on the run. As we shot out the garden When the villain runs away, it means the danger is over. If we remain indifferent, no threat will come to us. Going to shoot again, chasing the villain who hasn’t taken the gold yet. Then we repeatedly fired the bullet into the back. There are many Supreme Court judgments. identified as overprotective Because if the danger is gone We cannot defend that instance. and risk being prosecuted for self-defense

Section 68 of the Thai Criminal Code states that or of others from the dangers caused by violence that violates the law and a danger is imminent if done reasonably The action is a legal defense. that person is not guilty.”

The criteria for legal protection are as follows:

• There is a danger arising from an act that violates the law, that is, the danger that arises that the offender has no legal power to act. If the doer has the power to do so has no right to protect
• Those who claim to be legally protected Must not be at fault for causing danger as well But if the person claiming to protect it contributing to that danger can’t claim protection
• dangers arising from an act in violation of that law It must be a danger that is imminent, that is, the danger that arises is so close that if you do not protect yourself at that moment It may cause harm to yourself or others.
• The offender must take action to protect his own rights or those of others. get out of that danger. action to prevent it must be done in a reasonable manner, namely
• action to prevent it must be proportionate to the harm caused by an assault violating that law, such as the harm caused by a slap in the face Will defend using a gun shot considered disproportionate. action to prevent it If the offender has used the least possible means to cause harm considered to have done enough for the reason

As for Ploykanok, he thinks that the police should proceed carefully in this matter. and fairness to the owner of the gold shop as well because even the gold shop has the highest security possible or sticking to the grille But if armed criminals come in hoping to rob gold shop business person like you It is a front line that must protect oneself and property.

“If you don’t fight back If you don’t do this, the (thieves) will be upset,” she said in a voice that started to get emotional.

“It’s scary, I think it’s scary. Not afraid of anything… It was very frustrating. He thought he could do anything, I said.

“This is not safe anymore.”