Thai military service

Post by **PeteC** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 4:21 am

I swiped this subject from a competing forum to remain nameless, but I think worthy of discussion.

The issue is dual citizen males registering for the Thai draft at age 18, which is mandatory. They can be prosecuted and jailed if they don't register.

This is where the thinking/comments may come from regarding that a dual Thai/? citizen has to declare intentions by age 18.

When you register for the draft, unless you pay big money to get out of it, you at some point have to do the red/black ball selection lottery routine, and if getting a red ball (I think) you are in for 2 years.

As we know, when you enter a country's military, you have to take an oath 'to protect and defend from all enemies both foreign and domestic...' That could be the key to it all as once you take that oath you would have to possibly defend against your other country of citizenship.

This may also be the reason that we see more dual citizen Thai women than men. They don't have the issue of the draft and apparently can go happily through life with two passports and two countries of citizenship.

Any of us with dual citizen sons here should investigate all of this more before they grow up. Pete

Post by **BaaBaa.** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:24 am

I've got over 16 years to worry about it but I would be interested in knowing the facts.

Post by **migrant** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:24 am

BaaBaa. wrote:I've got over 16 years to worry about it but I would be interested in knowing the facts.

Wow, I always thought you were a bit older BaaBaa

sargeant · Post by **sargeant** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:40 am

My boy is 17 and has for the last 18 months been doing what i would call cadets with the school this means should he finish this programme he will NOT have to do national service

Post by **STEVE G** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 1:57 pm

sargeant wrote:My boy is 17 and has for the last 18 months been doing what i would call cadets with the school this means should he finish this programme he will NOT have to do national service

My partner has the same plans for my step-son when he gets a bit older.
This seems easier than my idea which was to pay off the Army selector to get him one of those jobs gardening outside the 4th Infantry Barracks or charging for parking at Suan-Som beach.

Post by **PeteC** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:14 pm

I wonder if indeed Thai military service is so distasteful that many families choose these alternative measures?

Two years is not a long time, especially if the boy is not going to university or has yet to set a career plan.

Put 10 boys in the service and 8 are going to come out a better man for it. However, I can't speak for what happens in the Thai forces.

I have an ex brother in law who is career Thai Air Force and he loves the life. Pete

Post by **hhfarang** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:52 pm

I can tell you that it was good for my two nephews. One was kind of a lazy fat sissy type and the army made a (responsible) fit man out of him. He got out, put himself through college and is now a successful civil engineer in Bangkok.

The other nephew was always a partying drunk and always in trouble but after coming out of his two years in the army, he got married, had a son and is now a responsible family man.

Post by **STEVE G** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 3:08 pm

The problem with national service is that all the poor lads from Issan get sent down to the South to get shot at whilst the wealthier ones can afford to get the decent jobs.
From some of the stories I've heard from the guys that've been, it's worst down there than the what you read in the press.

Post by **Takiap** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:53 am

prcscct wrote:I wonder if indeed Thai military service is so distasteful that many families choose these alternative measures?

Two years is not a long time, especially if the boy is not going to university or has yet to set a career plan.

Put 10 boys in the service and 8 are going to come out a better man for it. However, I can't speak for what happens in the Thai forces.

I have an ex brother in law who is career Thai Air Force and he loves the life. Pete

I agree 100% with you. I myself was a natural born trouble maker and I can honestly say my two years national service changed me for the better. You go in a boy and come out a man. I don't have a son but if I did, I would be in favor of him doing his national service. Back in the days when I did mine in South Africa, all medically fit males over the age of 16 were required to do it. Two of my mates, both born in the UK, also had to do it as they had been in the country for more than four years prior to their sixteenth birthdays. Both managed just fine and both still have very fond memories. All three of us spent time in the line of fire but we all lived to tell the tale, and now, more than twenty years later, we still enjoy talking about those two years. In fact if you ask me, I think some other countries could benefit as well if they were to make it compulsory again. I hated discipline as a teen but when I found myself doing my two years, I excelled and was probably happier than I'd ever been.

As far as getting sent down south is concerned.........if the army are training you as they should be, you would be willing to go and fight, and as such, you wouldn't object to going down south in the first place. When I was doing my time, I would say that approximately 95% of troops would literally be begging to get sent into the red zone by the time we were finished with our basic training, and for some of us, our second phase training as well.

End of speech..... I guess I'm in favor of national service