Southern army chief confirms illegal gun shop at Nakhon Si Thammarat base not linked to insurgents; investigation into involved personnel ongoing.


The commander of the Fourth Army Area, Lt Gen Phaisarn Noosang, announced on Thursday that a shop illegally selling firearms inside the Nakhon Si Thammarat army base was not connected to weapons used by insurgents in Thailand’s deep South.


Phaisarn held a press conference to reveal findings from an internal investigation into the sale of guns and gun parts inside the welfare shop at Fort Vajiravudh. The press conference came two days after police, in coordination with Fourth Army Area officers, raided the shop and seized a large quantity of illegally sold firearms.


On Tuesday, police arrested a suspect, Wisut Hemman, 41, who allegedly sold 35 firearms, 16,000 rounds of ammunition, and over 100 gun parts from within the welfare shop compound. Most of the transactions were conducted via online orders.


Phaisarn explained that he delayed commenting on the case until his subordinates could conduct a thorough investigation into the shop. He confirmed that the firearms seized were new, commercially available weapons—not military-issued arms.


He stated that the suspect had used his status as a military personnel member stationed at the fort to lease space within the welfare shop compound, operating the gun store under the name Gun Smart & Tactical Shop.


Phaisarn added that the weapons sold were all new and had been legally purchased from licensed gun shops in Bangkok, but were then resold to local buyers by misusing military credentials to ease the process.

“The investigation found no evidence linking the shop to the southern insurgency, despite public concern,” Phaisarn said.

The army chief assured the public that the Fourth Army Area had not ignored the issue and would continue its investigation, promising disciplinary action against any personnel found to be involved in the illegal operation.


Earlier, Phaisarn had ordered inspections of all welfare shops inside army bases in the southern provinces to prevent similar abuses for illegal commercial activities, like those uncovered at Fort Vajiravudh.

Southern army chief: Illegal firearm shop in army camp not linked to insurgents