Thailand grants citizenship to half a million people – but not farangs

[webfact]

 

AMID WIDESPREAD speculation on social media that Thais are serving as mercenary soldiers in Israel’s the war against Hamas, the Foreign Ministry today (Nov. 8) clarified that no Thai worker has enlisted to do so with only half Thai and Israeli dual nationals serving as reserve soldiers, Naewna newspaper said.

 

The Thai Ambassador to Israel informed the ministry that a number of Thai women, approximately 400-500, are married to Israeli men and have children who hold both Thai and Israeli nationalities.

 

According to Israeli law military service is compulsory for all Israeli nationals with both men and women being conscripted when they turn 18. Men serve 32 months and women 24 months and once the conscription period is over they are all inducted into the reserve army that is called to perform military duties as needed.

 

The Thai ministry said that since Oct. 7 Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza the Israeli army has called up over 350,000 reservists, or approximately 4 percent of the population, for military duty with this being Israel’s largest call-up to date.

 

As this is the case there would be half Thai and Israel nationals who are serving as soldiers according to Israeli law, the ministry said.

 

by TNR Staff

TOP: Israeli soldiers take part in ground operations in this photo released Nov. 7, 2023. Photo: Handout/Israeli Defence Forces via Reuters and published by CNA

 

Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2023-11-09

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[ezzra]

Mercenaries ? and Thai Mercenaries at that? what a wild imaginations, the IDF is doing good enough job without the need of any ' Mercenaries ' to help it, and i doubt it very much that even half Thai are serving in the army other than the very odd one...

Edited November 8, 2023 by ezzra

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Mercenaries ? and Thai Mercenaries at that? what a wild imaginations, the IDF is doing good enough job without the need of any ' Mercenaries ' to help it, and i doubt it very much that even half Thai are serving in the army other than the very odd one...

What would "social media" be were it not for the wild imaginations and gullibility of its consumers. 

[Srikcir]

Thai mercenaries (aka paramilitary) under the authority and control of the Thai army are busy enough fighting the Malay Muslim insurregncy in the South. No need to leave the country.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Is there really such a rumor?? Israel has literally millions of citizens who served in the army, hundreds of thousands of reservists already called to duty. Some of the most highly trained soldiers in the world, and the most advanced military technology available today (much of it was developed in Israel). Why on earth would they need a handful of Thai agriculture workers as mercenaries?! 

[Dcheech]

What Thai netizens do, if finding something to get ‘outraged’ about is slow.

[Artisi]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Mercenaries ? and Thai Mercenaries at that? what a wild imaginations, the IDF is doing good enough job without the need of any ' Mercenaries ' to help it, and i doubt it very much that even half Thai are serving in the army other than the very odd one...

It would have to be a gang of Thai's numbering 4 or 5 to count as 1 mercenary. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by Artisi

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

According to Israeli law military service is compulsory for all Israeli nationals with both men and women being conscripted when they turn 18. Men serve 32 months and women 24 months and once the conscription period is over they are all inducted into the reserve army that is called to perform military duties as needed.

Should have that in Thailand.. all genders with no opt-out doctors letters.

[Artisi]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Should have that in Thailand.. all genders with no opt-out doctors letters.

Or hi so connections. 

[brianthainess]

Why use the word 'Mercenaries' anyway if they are reservists. Why make a story from social media rubbish from people who have no idea about the real world.

[parallelman]

The Thai Gov. would have to deny it anyway because if Hamas thought it might true, that would make more difficult for Thai hostages.

[bobbin]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

i doubt it very much that even half Thai are serving in the army other than the very odd one...

Why would you doubt that? The Thai Ambassador to Israel estimates approximately 400-500 Thai women are married to Israeli citizens. Bound to be quite a few children as products of those marriages. All will be dual citizens. .

 

If those children are over the age of18, then they are eligible for conscription. Men and women, as noted.

[Iron Tongue]

I'm sure this was all just a big mistake.

The actual story is that Thailand has offered to Israel, five hundred Generals to help fight the war.  They will need 2,000  IDF troops to command, of course.  

Within days, these Generals will have every IDF staff car cleaned, washed and waxed!  

[Grusa]

To me, the headline implies that  Thai mercenaries exist.......and all are fighting for Hamas..........?

[crazykopite]

Reading this had me in stitches Israel do not need a ragtag bunch of Thai mercenaries assisting them far from it from what I have seen of the Thai army they hand out roses when they perform a coupe on the government that’s as much action they experience 

[garzhe]

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

Mercenaries ? and Thai Mercenaries at that? what a wild imaginations, the IDF is doing good enough job without the need of any ' Mercenaries ' to help it, and i doubt it very much that even half Thai are serving in the army other than the very odd one...

They wouldn't be mercenaries, they are Israeli citizens with Israeli passports and can be called up for military service.

[retarius]

I should hope not.

[mzanzi]

3 hours ago, Artisi said:

It would have to be a gang of Thai's numbering 4 or 5 to count as 1 mercenary. 

 

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

Mercenaries ? and Thai Mercenaries at that? what a wild imaginations, the IDF is doing good enough job without the need of any ' Mercenaries ' to help it, and i doubt it very much that even half Thai are serving in the army other than the very odd one...

Not very difficult when your enemy is locked into a concentration camp where no one is allowed in or out and all goods going in are controlled by the oppressors . All conversations are monitored , except of course they missed the OCT 7 planning and it took them 6 hours to respond to the breach (pull another one ) . The IDF are fighting an enemy whose armoury is the equivalence of pea shooters . Hamas were set up so smartly , unfortunately their cranial capacity does not allow them to realise it .

[StayinThailand2much]

As if the Israeli army needed mercenaries from Thailand... LOL

[AgMech Cowboy]

An article written by a "Newsroom Staff"... Yes, so much believability here.  I'll say one thing about the millennials and gen-zers, they have a vivid imagination with ridiculous hyperbole stories.

[Dogmatix]

Israeli citizens residing overseas are legally liable to military service in Israel, even if they have lived all their lives outside Israel with another citizenship. But in practice they can get deferment, if they don't go to live in Israel before they are 28 or so.  Obviously they can't force a Thai-Israeli male living in Thailand who has to attend the draft board in Thailand to travel to Israel to be drafted there as well. But there are some who choose to go to Israel and join up. Also, of course, Thai-Israelis living in Israel have to do military service.  So no doubt there are Thai-Israelis of both categories in the Israeli army.  Can't imagine them recruiting Thai mercenaries or wanting anyone trained by the Thai military though.

[Dogmatix]

I wonder if there are any Thais fighting for Hamas.  There were definitely Thais with Isis.

[scorecard]

12 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Is there really such a rumor?? Israel has literally millions of citizens who served in the army, hundreds of thousands of reservists already called to duty. Some of the most highly trained soldiers in the world, and the most advanced military technology available today (much of it was developed in Israel). Why on earth would they need a handful of Thai agriculture workers as mercenaries?! 

Note that isreali women have to do national service same as males.

[Iron Tongue]

13 hours ago, garzhe said:

They wouldn't be mercenaries, they are Israeli citizens with Israeli passports and can be called up for military service.

What actually happened after October 7, was that there was a flurry of jet charters contracted worldwide -to fly Israeli reserve soldiers back into Israel.

Rather than fleeing, Israelis returned en-mass to take up arms to defend their country.

One may not like this, or even be an anti-semite, but they'd better respect the determination of Israelis to defend their country from attacks.

[Stargeezr]

The mercenaries are part of the Hamas group.  It sounds to me like Hamas is not

just Palestine guys.  I am glad that Thailand does not have Isreals style of

Military requirement, since Thailand has not been in a war for nearly 2 or 3 life times.

  I doubt that Thai born people living in Isreal are being forced to do time in the Isreal military.

Just my opinion of course.

[herfiehandbag]

Israel has a programme for "foreign soldiers" to serve in the IDF.

 

These "lone soldiers" are foreigners who feel close ties to Israel (usually because they are Jews). The programme teaches them Hebrew, and provides sponsor families for them for leave. Otherwise they are paid and serve under the same terms as Israelis.

 

Not really mercenaries, and I would be very surprised if they include any Thais.

[ChipButty]

11 hours ago, scorecard said:

Note that isreali women have to do national service same as males.

Women only do 2 years, Men do 3 years 

[Emdog]

Given Thailand's record of being on the losing side(s), I would expect any mercenaries to join up with Hamas

[herfiehandbag]

On 11/9/2023 at 9:42 AM, Iron Tongue said:

I'm sure this was all just a big mistake.

The actual story is that Thailand has offered to Israel, five hundred Generals to help fight the war.  They will need 2,000  IDF troops to command, of course.  

Within days, these Generals will have every IDF staff car cleaned, washed and waxed!  

I suspect that the IDF doesn't bother with staff cars. They are somewhat more focused on reality!

[Captain Monday]

The Thai Ambassador to Israel informed the ministry that a number of Thai women, approximately 400-500, are married to Israeli men and have children who hold both Thai and Israeli nationalitie

 

Someday then a guy will marry a half Thai/Israeli woman. He will be kvetched to death in three years.