Bangkok: The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has established comprehensive guidelines and safety measures for carrying firearms in shooting training and competitions. This move comes in response to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's stricter regulations on firearms, which have significantly impacted shooting athletes who were concerned about potential legal violations and disruptions to their training and competitive schedules, especially with the upcoming 20th Asian Games.
According to Thai News Agency, the SAT, under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, has authorized six sports associations related to shooting and firearm use to submit certification letters to the Department of Provincial Administration for consideration. These associations include the Shooting Sport Association of Thailand, the Clay Target Shooting Association of Thailand, the Practical Shooting Association of Thailand, the Pentathlon Association of Thailand, the Thailand Paralympic Sports Association, the Thailand Ski and Snowboard Association, and the Thailand Deaf Sports Association.
The process requires sports associations to submit detailed letters to the Department of Provincial Administration and the Royal Thai Police. These letters must include certificates for shooting training or competitions, athlete information such as national ID copies, firearm details, licenses (Form P.4), and the training or competition schedule.
The guidelines outline specific measures for different groups. For general athletes, they must possess a license issued by the Department of Provincial Administration and a certificate from relevant sports associations specifying crucial details like the purpose and duration of firearm use. Ammunition and magazines must be securely stored separately from the gun case.
For youth athletes under 21, firearms for training and competition must be owned by guardians or coaches, who are responsible for transporting the firearms to the practice or competition venues. A certificate specifying key details about the athlete and the firearm must be provided by the sports associations.
Foreign athletes are required to have representatives from the SAT and provincial sports associations obtain temporary firearms licenses and manage the transport and storage of firearms at competition venues. Certificates with detailed information about the athlete and firearm must be issued to those carrying the guns.
Additionally, the SAT mandates that sports associations issue firearm storage certificates to competition venues, detailing the storage operation's duration and responsible personnel. Firearms must be managed and returned according to established competition management standards.