34 people are dead after a shooting at a child care centre, Thai police have said.

The shooting took place early in the afternoon, in the centre of Nongbua Lamphu, a town in the northeast of the country, according to Police Major General Achayon Kraithong.

The attacker is said to have killed over 30 people before taking his own life. Kraithong had no further details.

A spokesperson for a regional public affairs office has said that so far 26 deaths have been confirmed — 23 children, two teachers and one police officer.

Thai media is reporting that the gunman also used knives in the attack before he fled the building.

Photographs of the scene have shown at least two bodies on the floor of the centre covered in white sheets.

Several of these media outlets have identified the assailant as a former police officer, but there has been no official confirmation as of yet.

Despite high gun ownership in comparison to other countries in the region, mass shootings are uncommon in Thailand.

Further details have yet to be announced.