Thailand daycare massacre leaves 37 dead, including children


An ex-police officer killed 37 people in a massacre at a daycare in the Nong Bua Lamphu province of Thailand on Thursday, reports BBC News. The gunman was identified as 34-year-old Panya Kamrab, who was fired from the police force after being arrested for methamphetamine possession, The New York Times reports. Kamrab shot and stabbed children at the child-care center and then fatally shot himself and his family, police said.
Among the 37 dead, at least 24 were children, some as young as two years old, reports CNN. The assailant used a nine-millimeter handgun and a knife in the attack. It's unclear if there was a motive for the attack. The incident shocked the largely peaceful province.
It has been two years since a mass shooting of this scale in Thailand. The last time was in Feb. 2020 when a soldier opened fire at a military base and shopping mall, killing 29 people. Despite Thailand having a large number of firearms, mass shootings are quite rare, the Times explains. However, the country has high gun ownership and homicide rates and also has a rampant underground market for firearms. The shooting on Thursday was the largest attack with a single perpetrator in Thai history.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The U.S. Embassy in Thailand said in a statement, "We stand with the people of Thailand and offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rights
The Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
Grecotel Luxme Dama Dama: Greek luxury with a breezy beach vibe
The Week Recommends Rhodes is reimagined in this refined and relaxed resort
-
Sudoku medium: October 8, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan church
Speed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
3 officers killed in Pennsylvania shooting
Speed Read Police did not share the identities of the officers or the slain suspect, nor the motive or the focus of the still-active investigation
-
Colleges are being overwhelmed with active shooter hoaxes
In the Spotlight More than a dozen colleges have reported active shooter prank calls
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school mass
Speed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Trump lambasts crime, but his administration is cutting gun violence prevention
The Explainer The DOJ has canceled at least $500 million in public safety grants
-
Aimee Betro: the Wisconsin woman who came to Birmingham to kill
In the Spotlight US hitwoman wore a niqab in online lover's revenge plot
-
Thailand is rolling back on its legal cannabis empire
Under the Radar Government restricts cannabis use to medical purposes only and threatens to re-criminalise altogether, sparking fears for the $1 billion industry
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms