Chinese national gets 46 years in prison in Thailand for possessing military-grade weapons

A Chinese national has received a 46-year prison sentence in Thailand after being convicted of illegally possessing a significant quantity of military-grade weapons and explosives. The man, identified as Sun Mingchen, 31, was sentenced by the Pattaya Provincial Court on July 3.

The arrest occurred in Chonburi province when police investigated Sun's vehicle following a traffic accident. Officers discovered a pistol with live ammunition, prompting a more thorough investigation. A subsequent search of Sun's residence revealed a large cache of illegal items, including M4 and M16 assault rifles, 9mm pistols, ammunition magazines, C4 explosives, anti-personnel mines, detonators, body armor, and signal jamming devices.

Further examination of Sun's mobile phone uncovered videos showing him firing machine guns and testing explosives underwater. He reportedly confessed to all charges during the trial. Sun had initially entered Thailand on a tourist visa in 2020 and possessed both Chinese and Cambodian passports. The court ordered the confiscation of all seized items.