Annual Military Draft: More Thai Men Volunteer to Be Conscripted

 

 

BANGKOK, July 31 (TNA) – More eligible Thai men have volunteered to join the military on conscription day due to the COVID-19 fallout.

 

The ongoing annual military draft period has been postponed from April because of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

 

Under the Military Service Act, all Thai men who reach the age of 21 are required to register for the military draft. Those who do not volunteer must take part in a lottery.  Around 100,000 men are drafted annually to serve in the three branches of the armed forces. 

 

Deputy army spokeswoman Col Sirichan Nga-tong said this year the number of those who volunteer to join the armed forces considerably increased.  She said the main reason was that the COVID-19 pandemic had reduced job opportunities.

 

Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-485393

 

-- © Copyright TNA 2020-08-01

 

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Quote

More Thai Men Volunteer to Be Conscripted

That's good keep it 100% voluntary conscripts in the future

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

More eligible Thai men have volunteered to join the military on conscription day due to the COVID-19 fallout.

It's their only opportunity for a paying job at the moment, so no surprises there. Once the economy is back on track, there will be lesser volunteering as before.

Three hots and a cot, makes sense.

1 hour ago, thequietman said:

It's their only opportunity for a paying job at the moment, so no surprises there. Once the economy is back on track, there will be lesser volunteering as before.

Sadly they are paid Peanuts; but Peanuts are better than no nuts !

17 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Sadly they are paid Peanuts; but Peanuts are better than no nuts !

Would be interesting to know, what are they paid?

2 hours ago, thequietman said:

It's their only opportunity for a paying job at the moment, so no surprises there. Once the economy is back on track, there will be lesser volunteering as before.

Not entirely true.

The number of volunteers is steadily rising since a few years.

In Khon Kaen before it was nearly 50% volunteers already.

Have no idea what it was last week.

Edited August 1, 20205 yr by hansnl

6 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Not entirely true.

The number of volunteers is steadily rising since a few years.

In Khon Kaen before it was nearly 50% volunteers already.

Have no idea what it was last week.

If you volunteer, you only have to serve a 1/3 of the time. Some figure, it's the best of 2 evils. It shouldn't be a requirement though, as it isn't a proper armed force, but in fact, cheap labour. ????

6 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Sadly they are paid Peanuts; but Peanuts are better than no nuts !

I was looking at a Reuters report of 7 years ago which said they get nearly 10K a month then.....which was way more then average wage.

 

April 10, 2013 / 11:05 AM / 7 years ago

Luck of the draw for Thai army recruits

 

Amy Sawitta Lefevre

4 Min ReadBANGKOK (Reuters) - Winai Sawaengkarn closes his eyes before reaching into a wooden box and drawing a black card. He beams, and his watching mother sweeps him up into a tight embrace, overjoyed that he will not have to serve in the army.

 

 

A young man celebrates after pulling out a black ticket from a plastic bucket during an army draft held at a school in Klong Toey, the dockside slum area in Bangkok April 7, 2013. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Winai, 21, is just one of thousands of Thai men taking part in April’s army recruitment lottery that will determine if they serve in the military.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-army-recruitment/luck-of-the-draw-for-thai-army-recruits-idUSBRE93902N20130410

Edited August 1, 20205 yr by metisdead
Edited as per fair use policy.

6 minutes ago, thequietman said:

If you volunteer, you only have to serve a 1/3 of the time.

Are you saying that volunteers serve only 8 months instead of 24?

Edited August 1, 20205 yr by Brunolem

yes I think that's how it works.........but if you go along in Drag......they wont take you at all....unlike that guy in MASH.......

2 hours ago, Henryford said:

Would be interesting to know, what are they paid?

7500 to start with, followed by some marginal increases dependent on skill set (engineer, radar ops, or cannon fodder etc) and rank. Also depends which service they get, army, navey or air force.

1 hour ago, Brunolem said:

Are you saying that volunteers serve only 8 months instead of 24?

2 years if they get picked in the lottery. 6 months if they volunteer. ????

Apologies, it's a quarter.

Edited August 1, 20205 yr by thequietman

...and now: let's see if we can figure out, why this is....

20 minutes ago, jonclark said:

7500 to start with, followed by some marginal increases dependent on skill set (engineer, radar ops, or cannon fodder etc) and rank. Also depends which service they get, army, navey or air force.

can you give us a link jonclark.....like to know why Reuters got it wrong........Thanks

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-army-recruitment/luck-of-the-draw-for-thai-army-recruits-idUSBRE93902N20130410

Edited August 1, 20205 yr by sanuk711

2 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Are you saying that volunteers serve only 8 months instead of 24?

Volunteers serve 6 months... always has been.

well, for one thing, there is no t** called dole to nourish from here...

11 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Volunteers serve 6 months... always has been.

How does that work then?

They all start at the same time (a month after being drafted or something) or some start after 6 months? Otherwise the number of personel during the year is much lower in the second half of the year when all the volunteers leave around the same time. There is only one draft a year right?

2 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Are you saying that volunteers serve only 8 months instead of 24?

I'm pretty sure it's now 12 months if you volunteer.

 

I had heard previously that there was no discount for being a volunteer so who knows what's going on and how often they change the rules.

Conscription is a waste of Thai taxpayer money now and before.   Abolish it like Taiwan did their's.  

2 hours ago, thequietman said:

2 years if they get picked in the lottery. 6 months if they volunteer. ????

Apologies, it's a quarter.

That's good to know.

 

I have a 15 year old son, so things may change before he reaches 21.

 

Do they have to volunteer when they show up for the draft, or before that?

26 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

That's good to know.

 

I have a 15 year old son, so things may change before he reaches 21.

 

Do they have to volunteer when they show up for the draft, or before that?

He can sign up for army camp while still in school, and then doesn't have to do anything else after that. It's like a boy scout thing. Very easy. ???? It's around now, that he needs to register.

Edited August 1, 20205 yr by thequietman

The draft will never be abolished. My prediction. The generals need them for the next coup.

 

Draftees/volunteers who come out after 1 or 2 years will probably still be where they were when they were drafted/volunteered, cheap labour on the parent's farms, or good for nothing wastrel drug addict sponging thieving  little <deleted>es.

 

Experience in the village in which I reside....

6 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Sadly they are paid Peanuts; but Peanuts are better than no nuts !

But they do get to play with guns, and that's every Thai mans dream 

14 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

But they do get to play with guns, and that's every Thai mans dream 

You know this to be true? I have to doubt the generals are training conscripts from the south on how to use an assault rifle. Should think twice about training Uni students too.

i'm sure a proper donation will ensure your son is overlooked.