Thailand in mourning after children killed in mass stabbing and shooting

Thailand was in a state of mourning on Friday after a gun and knife attack at a nursery left dozens dead and prompted calls for gun control and a crackdown on illicit drugs.

Thirty-seven people were killed when a former police officer opened fire and stabbed children as they slept at the preschool in Uthai Sawan, a town 310 miles north-east of Bangkok on Thursday.

After the attacker left the nursery he drove his car towards and shot at bystanders, then returned home where he shot his wife, child and himself.

The Thai government ordered all Thai flags to be lowered to half mast while the prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, visited the nursery and laid flowers outside. Afterwards, he met families of the victims and handed out compensation cheques.

On Friday evening, King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were also expected to meet victims and their families. Crowds gathered outside a local hospital to see the motorcade pass by.

The attacker, identified by police as Panya Khamrab, a 34-year-old former police lieutenant colonel, was dismissed from the force in January for methamphetamine possession and was officially fired in June. He had appeared in court earlier on Thursday on a drug charge and was due to appear again on Friday.

Thai media reported that autopsy results indicated he had not taken drugs in the 72 hours prior to his death. However, the mass killing has prompted calls for a tougher stance on drugs, including methamphetamine, supplies of which have grown rapidly across south-east Asia over recent years.

The opposition Pheu Thai party said it is preparing to open an extraordinary session of the House of Representatives after the tragedy.

A recent UN report said that the price of tablet and crystal methamphetamine had fallen to all-time lows due to a surge in supply.

According to local reports, a tablet costs 10 baht (£0.24) for wholesale, about the same as a bottle of water. The street price for the pills is between 20 and 25 baht.

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand, though gun ownership rates are high. In 2020, a soldier killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 after opening fire in four locations, including a busy shopping mall in north-east Thailand.

In Uthai Sawan, local people and grieving families struggled to come to terms with what had happened.

The attacker first opened fire outside the nursery, according to witness accounts given to local media. Teachers had tried to lock the front door to keep him out, but he shot and kicked his way into the building.

Some families stayed outside the nursery until late on Thursday evening, Thai media reported, with trained staff giving mental health support.

On Friday, relatives gathered again at the nursery, many wearing black, where they were given government assistance.

In the afternoon, coffins bearing the bodies of the victims were taken to local families, to be handed over to relatives. Some fainted as the small coffins were opened. Paramedics revived them with smelling salts.