Buying an airgun in HuaHin/Thailand

[OscarMike]

I have seen countless cheapo plastic BB guns around that last about a month (if you are lucky) without breaking but am wondering if you can buy proper air rifles here? Something like this:

22-Air-Rifle.jpg (31.77 KiB) Viewed 11518 times

That fires these:

Back home you could pick a reasonable one up in most stores for a hundred bucks.

Need it to do away with rats, birds, soi dogs and other vermin that are eating my crops and property. Any suggestions for somewhere local to get one would be good!

[kendo]

I can understand why you would want to do some pest control, but birds and soi dogs dont come under the title of vermin you might start to upset your neighbours.

Kendo.

[OscarMike]

Not really looking for a lecture on the morality of pest control, just directions to a shop where I can buy an air rifle.

[STEVE G]

There certainly used to be a small gun shop a couple of doors after the main Bangkok bank on Pethakasem that had them in the window but I don't know if it's still there.

[Nereus]

There certainly used to be a small gun shop a couple of doors after the main Bangkok bank on Pethakasem that had them in the window but I don't know if it's still there.

Yes, I have seen them in there as well. However, they are regarded the same as a .22 rimfire rifle in Thailand, so you will need a licence. May be a bit easier to get if your wife is Thai, as I was beleive the MIB are not as strict as with other firearms.

edit: they may only be .177 as well.

[Korkenzieher]

The air-soft 'mock' pistols which shoot small plastic or ceramic pellets can be quite effective depending on need. They will shake up an aggressive dog, non-fatally for example. They are available on the top floor of Market Village and at Pimae open market and possibly some other places. Probably worth comparing prices.

[jimmy40]

Air riffles need a permit, but on the top floor of market village, as suggested above. You can buy a hand held crosbow, it fires cross bolts of course but it has a barrel under it as well driven by the compound string it fires a 6 mm steel ball bearing, i think there is provision for a scope. No licence just buy it. I think that should do the job, bb's for the birds rats, and switch over to the hunting bolts for the dogs etc.

[cozza]

There are gas powered hand guns in the local Thai markets around, saw 1 for around 3k. Guy gave me a demo of 1, if your interested I think they'd be willing to do same for anyone.

I was on a bit of a gun high after going shooting a range of guns, honestly I thought for what it was, was well worth it...made a clean hole in a canvas sheet...would be good for local pests.

[ozuncle]

There are gas powered hand guns in the local Thai markets around, saw 1 for around 3k. Guy gave me a demo of 1, if your interested I think they'd be willing to do same for anyone.

I was on a bit of a gun high after going shooting a range of guns, honestly I thought for what it was, was well worth it...made a clean hole in a canvas sheet...would be good for local pests.

I got one of those gas pistols.

But not good enough for pigeons on the roof of a two story house, which is a big problem for me.

I am also interested in something more effective but certainly not something that could harm anyone or anything with a poor shot over the roof.

[Super Joe]

I think anyone wanting something for use as the OP does is basically stuffed here. These airsoft guns are not accurate or powerful enough over 40ft or whatever, and air rifles come under the same regulations as 'real' firearms, with the same penalties I believe. Anyone know otherwise re: this?

I can understand why you would want to do some pest control, but birds and soi dogs dont come under the title of vermin you might start to upset your neighbours.

For anyone else considering shooting birds and dogs this is the best advice to follow imo. Thais will definately report you for this, even if they find the soi dogs annoying themselves, and then the penalties are something like upto 5 years just for possession of one in your own home. No doubt it'll be a big fine instead though. Even Thais that desperately want the soi dogs dead will report you for a few grand cut of the fine.

SJ

[kendo]

Well put SJ if your idea for fun is to shoot birds and dogs you will end up in trouble there is always someone will grass on you for a few baht and to be honest it's not really a good country for farangs to piss the locals off.
Kendo.

[lomuamart]

Seconded to SJ's post.

[Hobiecat]

The best thing I've found for getting rid of Soi dogs is a good old pocket rocket (slingshot) I bought when I was home visiting family. I us small lead spit shot fishing weights which isn't lethal but be assured once you tag a dog with this in the hind quarter, they won't be coming back........I have no Soi dogs.

[kendo]

Up north at our village even the monks will walk around with sling shots or sticks and so do we for our own safety with soi dogs if a Thai really gets pissed off with a soi dog they will poison it in a very discret manner as some one will always claim that's there grand mums dog.
Kendo.

[VincentD]

There are gas powered hand guns in the local Thai markets around, saw 1 for around 3k. Guy gave me a demo of 1, if your interested I think they'd be willing to do same for anyone.

I was on a bit of a gun high after going shooting a range of guns, honestly I thought for what it was, was well worth it...made a clean hole in a canvas sheet...would be good for local pests.

I got one of those gas pistols.

But not good enough for pigeons on the roof of a two story house, which is a big problem for me.

I am also interested in something more effective but certainly not something that could harm anyone or anything with a poor shot over the roof.

You can get an airsoft sniper rifle - they use the same size plastic pellets - but are definitely more powerful and accurate than those pistols. I used one of a friend's - a Wells MB-01 - comes with it's own working scope - and by golly, it's accurate once zeroed!
There are no more pigeons on the roof of the house, nor on the one next door, which is double storied. You can get the heavier ceramic pellets for pigeon control, they used to laugh and shrug off the plastic ones, but do take notice of the heavier ones.