Commentary: Siam Paragon shooting – spotlight on gun control shouldn’t leave mental health in the shadows

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE LAND OF SMILES

There is another pressing issue lurking beneath the surface, far less debated but equally threatening as gun control: Mental health.

The Siam Paragon shooter killed two people and injured several others using a blank gun modified to shoot real bullets. According to the police, the teenager had not taken his medication and suffered a psychological breakdown, seemingly “hearing things, a noise he said told him to shoot”.

The nursery gunman and military shooter were both reportedly under high levels of stress, with the former facing drug charges in court and the latter angry about a land dispute. That they had no record of mental health issues could perhaps be because they never sought any mental health care.

Instead of viewing these cases as isolated incidents, they should be seen as a reflection of a mental health crisis – a broader, structural problem just like gun violence.

Thailand may be known as the “Land of Smiles”, but there seems to be deep-rooted cultural norms of social harmony and non-confrontation that often lead to the suppression of emotional expression, particularly negative or conflicting ones.

Mental health is often seen as a sign of individual weakness when, in fact, it is a result of the inability to achieve well-being in society. This includes the lack of economic opportunities, education, healthcare, habitable environments and social connections, among other factors.