Avoiding required military service for son

[chivo]

Son was born in Thailand, has dual citizenship (USA). 
We moved back to USA when he was 2 1/2. 
He has grown up in the States, only speaks English, and We have no interest in him being forced into thai military in any capacity. 
Strange how that’s a requirement for dual kids still. What if my son joined the US military while here? Surely you can’t serve in both??? Wouldn’t that exempt him from thai required service? Or do we have to denounce his thai citizenship?? Thanks for any knowledge. 

[ThomasThBKK]

Just enter on US passport, no one will care... he can buy himself out too for a few bucks.

Why the hell would you denounce his thai citizenship... It's worth something, US one on the other hand with their worldwide citizenship based taxation he might want to get rid of later...

[metisdead]

An unhelpful post has been removed. 

[chickenslegs]

This article may be useful ...

https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-military-service/

 

 

[chivo]

28 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Just enter on US passport, no one will care... he can buy himself out too for a few bucks.

Why the hell would you denounce his thai citizenship... It's worth something, US one on the other hand with their worldwide citizenship based taxation he might want to get rid of later...

True. The US citizenship thing can be as painful, in other ways. Yeah, all up for a little brown envelope if that tactic holds up. Seems to work on everything else!

[86Tiger]

When our now 5 year old was born his mother went into panic about he would 'go to army and die.'

 

First, tried to convince her that would be 20 years out, anything could change by then.  Didn't ease her mind.  then I did the research on what options actually are:  stay out of Thailand, , join military in US, go to university, complete the high school program, visit the local draft honcho and slip him an envelope or show up for the draw where only 2 - 3 are normally selected.  She seemed to understand he had options and would not die fighting the muslim radicals down south, seriously that is her fear.

 

Personally, I don't have problem with any young man doing service to his country.  But seems to avoid conscription the high school/university course, or maybe ROTC in US college would be best deal.

 

We will deal with it in some years and I'll let you know how we come out......

[bkkgriz]

Dress him up like a girl.

[ronaldo0]

20000 bht buys way out and I’m not sure but after a certain age they don’t make you do it I think .

[kwak250]

55 minutes ago, bkkgriz said:

Dress him up like a girl.

Exactly what I was going to say dress and lipstick and pinch the officers bum and he will be all clear of any military activities.

[skytrooper70]

When my son (Thai-US) turned 18yo, he was in university (US). We gave the local colonel a baht "donation" to handle it. He was happy to omit Junior's name, from the draft rolls. I have a Thai-American friend, in Chiang Mai, who did the same, for her son, for Baht 20,000. 

Edited February 14, 2020 by skytrooper70
misspelling

[BestB]

30000 baht during picking ticket ensures he picks the “correct “ one. From my understanding attending uni also gives him free pass , but unsure if back to picking after the uni

[IAMHERE]

On 2/8/2020 at 3:41 PM, 86Tiger said:

Personally, I don't have problem with any young man doing service to his country.

How you feel about your son being a personal servant for some general or admiral?  These conscripts in Thailand do one of others)two things, cannon fodder or servant to a hiso (officer with a gun is a hiso), the rest are to make NCO's feel they've made a good career choice( where else you get to lord it over the lower class(yes, your son is lower class).  Pay off whoever you have to pay off or choose which side of the fence you want to be on. Good chanc he is dead if conscripted in Thailand. Choose wisely not economically; is my advice.

[wombat]

On 2/3/2020 at 7:32 PM, ThomasThBKK said:

worldwide citizenship based taxation

thats funny sad and tragic all at the same time

[jaf3]

2 hours ago, bkkgriz said:

Dress him up like a girl.

there are plenty of kathoey in the military - wont exempt him

[BestB]

1 hour ago, jaf3 said:

there are plenty of kathoey in the military - wont exempt him

There are zero ladyboys in the military but plenty of gay guys . Once one has undergone surgery to become a woman one way or another they are exempt 

[Dogmatix]

"Strange how that’s a requirement for dual kids still."

 

There isn't any requirement for dual nationals because Thailand doesn't recognise dual nationality.  It is in a grey area where it is neither explicitly prohibited nor permitted.  The only regulations they have to do with conscription are for Thai citizens.  There is just a provision in the conscription law that prohibits naturalised Thais from being called up which could apply to a minor child who was naturalised along with his father which sometimes happens.

 

If your son is not in a house registration book, he will not be called up because that is the list they use. Otherwise he will and would be advised to seek deferment based on studying abroad, assuming he wants to visit Thailand.  If not in a house book, he can keep on renewing Thai passports overseas without ever having one or applying for an ID card which needs a house book and can only be done in Thailand anyway. Once he is 30 they no longer want him. 

 

Even if he's already in a house book, it is only likely to be an issue if he wants to come and live and work in Thailand before he is 30 and needs an ID card which he won't be able to get in his 20s without conscription papers.  I don't think it is necessary to renounce Thai citizenship, which I assume is a hassle but think it can be done at embassies and consulates abroad.  If he does wish to, he has an automatic right under the Nationality Act to do so between his 20th and 21st birthdays.  That would clear his military service obligation along with his Thai citizenship.

 

 

[Dogmatix]

28 minutes ago, BestB said:

There are zero ladyboys in the military but plenty of gay guys . Once one has undergone surgery to become a woman one way or another they are exempt 

 

I think the army regulation is that once they have breasts and/or have been castrated they are no longer eligible for the Thai military.  Gays are in demand as cooks and personal servants for officers and also make up for the shortage of available women.

[Caine]

3 hours ago, kwak250 said:

Exactly what I was going to say dress and lipstick and pinch the officers bum and he will be all clear of any military activities.

He could get instant promotion to Rear Admiral 

[justin case]

having to do army "service", aka SLAVE for some a-wipe while illegal (in my home country) get citizenship for doing nothing for their new country 

 

or for your child to go die for some crazy <deleted> idea of imperialism, thinking they are better then their neighbors, like many young boys during WW1, WW2, Vietnam, Korea were brainwashed into going to fight & die for "their country" while it are corporations that will profit with rebuild, new markets ...F that.... totally anti war or army feeling

 

look Thailand with 2000 multi millionaire generals on a government salary, how did that happen ?

 

how many times they took over power ?

 

they should outlaw the army , useless anyway, costing tons of money and thailand is at war with what country exactly the last hundreds of years ???

[RJRS1301]

Write to General Bone Spurs and ask him, he was successful????️‍♂️

[ChipButty]

2 years in the army will do him the world of good, but 2 years in the Thai army is probably a complete waste of time go in with nothing come out with even less

[Falcon]

13 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

20000 bht buys way out and I’m not sure but after a certain age they don’t make you do it I think .

That’s complete <deleted> and you are giving the wrong type of information to someone who is obviously worried about their son. Since the military takeover it has become far harder for anyone to simply buy their way out of the draw and 20k is certainly not going to be anywhere near enough even if you could find someone to ‘help’! Easiest way for this person to make sure his son is safe is to get him enrolled in military cadet school for 2 years in the us. That’s obviously nothing like the Thai army conscripts but I’ll do the trick as the law states that everyone is eligible to be signed up for The draw at age 18-21 other than those that have completed raw-dor (military cadets at Thai school) or overseas military cadets, both for a period of 2 years. 

[KhaoYai]

Firstly - I know thousands of kids have what they think is dual citizenship and have never had a problem holding both passports.

 

Secondly, I don't know if there are any special arrangements regarding dual citizenship where one of the child's parents is from the USA.

 

But........ and wait for all the flack............

 

The law on citizenship in Thailand generally, states that when the child with a Thai mother and a foreign father reaches 20 (I think 20, could be 18, could be 21 - long time since I read the actual law) if they wish to retain the citizenship of their father, they must give up their Thai citizenship.

 

The same section of the law makes it clear that the dual citizenship is only granted to Thai females married to a foreigner - apparently that concession was added to facilitate a trouble free return to Thailand in the event the marriage fails,

 

So, I wouldn't worry about national service - your son is potentially about to lose his (legal) right to a Thai passport in any case. I'm just telling you the law - not what happens in real life.

 

To the flackers.......no I'm not going to post a reference, research it yourself.  When this subject has come up on other forums, I've posted the law and referenced it yet the arguing still went on so I'm not wasting my time.

 

To the OP, I have friends in the UK who have a Thai son/ Thai/foreign son living with them in the UK and who holds both passports.  As far as I'm aware they have never done anything - just ignored it when the 'draft' comes around. I presume a relative or the village headman has informed the authorities that the child no longer lives in Thailand and some form of cancellation has taken place.  All of those people have been back to Thailand since and no-one's been arrested or had their Thai passport confiscated.

[BTB1977]

I sat in front the army guy up in Tak a few years back with my girlfriend's son. He left thailand when he was about 7. He asked for about 20,000 to have a letter from a doctor saying he had an elbow medical problem to get him out of the draft. We were told to come back the next day with the money. Turns out his name was not registered under any thai address so they could not find is name anywhere on their lists. He has a thai passport and birth certificate,  but if  there is no addresses(house) with his name attached  the army did know he was alive. Didn't give any money case closed

[Tony125]

If you are in the US ask for a waiver of military service for your son at the Thai Embassy in Wash. DC ,they approve them all the time.  There is a form you fill out  with required information.

https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-military-service/