Last year, my neighbor's son got a lucky number and was drafted.

On November 1st, he joined the Thai Navy.

The next day, he got his marching orders: 20 days in, 10 days off, 7,000 baht a month!

Indeed, after 20 days, he was already back home to enjoy his first 10 day break.

And these days he is already on his third break.

 

Now, think about the unlucky guy who was not drafted.

Looking for the closest thing to military action, he may have signed to work as a security guard in a parking.

He gets 2 days off and 9,000 baht per month, has to pay for his room, his food, his electricity and everything else.

If he doesn't like wearing a uniform, then he may be working in a supermarket, or on a construction site, in similar conditions.

 

Meanwhile, the happy part-time soldier is enjoying a free fully inclusive package (room, meals, laundry...) when he is in service (playing football), and has 7,000 baht to spend on beer when he is in R&R.

 

The only downside of this deal is that it lasts only 2 years...

2 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

The only downside of this deal is that it lasts only 2 years...

 

The other downside is, he might get beaten to death by his seniors for some random mistake !!!

2 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

The other downside is, he might get beaten to death by his seniors for some random mistake !!!

And/or sent down to the south where he may actually be shot or blown up..................

1 hour ago, topt said:

And/or sent down to the south where he may actually be shot or blown up..................

Or he could get struck by lightning...

Just don't go AWOL, my nephew returned late from holiday when he was stationed up in Chiang Rai watching the smuggling routes. He was chained to a wall for a month and beaten black and blue repeatedly. 

Curious how your son ended up in the navy, as they say you draw the balls for the army

(maybe they needed to fill some gaps or he got to pick )

5 hours ago, BEVUP said:

Curious how your son ended up in the navy, as they say you draw the balls for the army

(maybe they needed to fill some gaps or he got to pick )

Not my son, my neighbor's son...I have no idea how he ended up in the Navy, but he sure got the right uniform...

My Neighbours son who I regarded as a friend of mine also picked the lucky ball and was sent to the navy. For him and his family it was at the time a blessing. His family were/are poor ( wood house/tin roof/ part mud floor and built on someone else's land. 

 

After the basic training for extra money he volunteered to go to the south. After a couple of months he came back to the village, I cooked a BBQ for him and we all told him to be careful. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met.

 

He was killed in a Hummer jeep by a road side bomb, his photo was on the front page of the Thai newspapers. His family were promised substantial compensation. His body ( badly smashed up) was brought back to the village in a cardboard coffin, as the cremation  fire was lit military recruits fired a 21 gun salute. 

 

I had lent the family 40,000 baht to pay for the party/funeral, the family spent a lot more. When the General came to the house to bring the compensation he arrived in his brand new cream mercedes-benz car, he offed his sympathy and told the mother her son did not like the army so killed himself in a toilet. He gave the mother a small amount of money and left.

 

I was deeply shocked at what had happen'd, The family was left with no son and out of pocket. I did not ask for my money back and many in the village helped. But every one just accepted that nothing could be done.

 

For the lucky ones they can grow vegetables, cut the grass or paint the barracks but for some conscription to the Thai army/navy will only bring pain and suffering.

 

 

 

13 hours ago, mick220675 said:

My Neighbours son who I regarded as a friend of mine also picked the lucky ball and was sent to the navy. For him and his family it was at the time a blessing. His family were/are poor ( wood house/tin roof/ part mud floor and built on someone else's land. 

 

After the basic training for extra money he volunteered to go to the south. After a couple of months he came back to the village, I cooked a BBQ for him and we all told him to be careful. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met.

 

He was killed in a Hummer jeep by a road side bomb, his photo was on the front page of the Thai newspapers. His family were promised substantial compensation. His body ( badly smashed up) was brought back to the village in a cardboard coffin, as the cremation  fire was lit military recruits fired a 21 gun salute. 

 

I had lent the family 40,000 baht to pay for the party/funeral, the family spent a lot more. When the General came to the house to bring the compensation he arrived in his brand new cream mercedes-benz car, he offed his sympathy and told the mother her son did not like the army so killed himself in a toilet. He gave the mother a small amount of money and left.

 

I was deeply shocked at what had happen'd, The family was left with no son and out of pocket. I did not ask for my money back and many in the village helped. But every one just accepted that nothing could be done.

 

For the lucky ones they can grow vegetables, cut the grass or paint the barracks but for some conscription to the Thai army/navy will only bring pain and suffering.

 

 

 

 

Army's are not usually all fun and games.... 

 

20 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Not my son, my neighbor's son...I have no idea how he ended up in the Navy, but he sure got the right uniform...

My understanding is the first ball you pick ether conscripts you or not. If you are conscripted there is a second round if you get the second ball you go to the navy. 

 

My friend who was conscripted to the navy never went to sea, after his training he became a royal marine.

 

14 hours ago, mick220675 said:

My Neighbours son who I regarded as a friend of mine also picked the lucky ball and was sent to the navy. For him and his family it was at the time a blessing. His family were/are poor ( wood house/tin roof/ part mud floor and built on someone else's land. 

 

After the basic training for extra money he volunteered to go to the south. After a couple of months he came back to the village, I cooked a BBQ for him and we all told him to be careful. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met.

 

He was killed in a Hummer jeep by a road side bomb, his photo was on the front page of the Thai newspapers. His family were promised substantial compensation. His body ( badly smashed up) was brought back to the village in a cardboard coffin, as the cremation  fire was lit military recruits fired a 21 gun salute. 

 

This is a sad story indeed...but what were the odds?

A drafted recruit, in the Navy, getting involved in a ground operation in the South!

Chances of my neighbor's son getting killed in a car or motorbike accident are a thousand times higher than him getting killed during his service.

I don't know the official stats, but the number of drafted recruits getting killed in action must be rather low.

 

Back home, when I was drafted, some recruits also volunteered for action, and a few never came back...but we are talking about one in a million...

 

Anyway, stats don't matter much when the victim is a family member or a friend...it's always one too many...