The scene of the mass shooting in Thailand - ViralPress© ViralPress

At least 31 people have been killed in a mass shooting at a children's nursery in Thailand.

Victims included 23 children, police said in a statement, adding that the gunman was an ex-police officer in the northeastern  Nong Bua Lam Phu province.

The attacker is said to have stormed the nursery with a gun and a knife before carrying out his attack and going on the run. 

A manhunt was launched, but the assailant later killed himself.  

The prime minister had alerted all agencies to take action and apprehend the culprit, a government spokesperson said.

The rate of gun ownership in Thailand is high compared with some other countries in the region but official figures do not include huge numbers of illegal weapons, many of which have been brought in across porous borders over the years from strife-torn neighbours.

Mass shootings are rare but in 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal gone sour killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations. By Gareth Davies, Telegraph