Thailand has stopped issuing new gun licenses following a series of deadly shootings in the country.

The Ministry of Interior said the order was published in the Royal Gazette on December 19, and took effect on December 20. Gun shops, like those seen in the video, will be affected.

In a statement, the ministry said: 'The reason for issuing this order is because firearms are currently carried in public places and have caused danger to life. They are feared by the people, affecting welfare in terms of safety and contrary to public order.

'Therefore, to maintain public order and safety and to reduce crime and control the situation to bring the country back to normal, the government has issued a temporary ban on issuing firearms licenses unless necessary for the benefit of the government.'

Interior Ministry spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said the directive does not apply to officers or persons authorised to carry firearms while performing their duties.

The suspension will last until December 19, 2024.

Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he has introduced measures to regulate authorised firearms to prevent misuse. Amendments to the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Fireworks Act were also being proposed.

The directive comes following several high-profile shootings in Thailand.

In October 2022, former policeman Panya Khamrab, 34, killed 36 people, including children, and injured 10 others in a rampage with guns, knives, and his car in Nong Bua Lamphu province. He later turned a gun on himself during the drug-fuelled killing spree.

Almost a year later, a teenage schoolboy opened fire in a Bangkok mall, killing two and injuring five others.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to tighten gun control in Thailand, which has one of the highest gun ownership and gun homicide rates in Asia.