Military Service

[samsiam]

But what if the thai illiterate luk krueng was wandering about not listening to anyone cos he no comprendi....and playing with a hand grenade pin ??

Not possible. I know Thailand seems a bit backward sometimes but the film about King Naresuan was a historical drama, not a documentary on Thailand's Army today.

No...they send the underlings to the front line to test if the enemy is using live rounds first.....and how serious they are.

[Trembly]

There is nothing written in the exemptions about not being able to speak Thai. Therefore, you must serve. Does it make sense? No. But since when has sense been an issue. Flat feet, physical disability, mental disability (transgenders used to falll under this exemption but no longer), chest too small, too short, etc. But nothing about language.

As to luk kreungs having a hard time of it, it depends on the kid. There are plenty of luk kreungs drafted. If you have been brought up as a Thai, mixed with Thais, gone to school with Thais, why would you have a problem. Other Thais do not think of you as something different. On the other hand, (Generalization Warning!!!) if you went to international schools, mixed solely with the international school - expat set, etc. you tend not to relate to other Thais and vice versa. I could certainly see those luk kreungs suffering and being picked on. But then they would very unlikely be drafted because certain fiscal measures would be taken by mum or dad to prevent it.

If a kid genuinely can't function in a Thai-language only environment then it will take the directing staff at boot camp about 3.142 seconds to say "which f_cking mongtard sheet-for-brains put this lad on the bus?".

The loog-krueng that I mentioned earlier went to big expensive international schools. Once you're inside all that stuff about where you went to school and who your dad's uncle's cousin is is just trivia. If it really did matter then you either wouldn't be in, or if you were you certainly wouldn't be in the ranks.

Going to a big expensive international school doesn't mean that you don't understand Thai culture either. Water will find its level. It's a lot of young lads from an agrarian society that adores Jonas and Christina and loog-krueng on screen being thrown into the same boat, not Forrest Gump going to a Black Panthers meeting. Having said that, I'm not saying that there won't be bullies and other predators out to get the weak and vulnerable in a semi-professional army of this size.

I suppose all I'm trying to say in short is, if you can speak Thai and you're not an utter appendage then you will be OK and probably have some good times to remember, even if you do have a western name.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Trembly

[Thongkorn]

Just because you can not read or write Thai, does not mean you will get out of it , they give you a job working in English speaking.

[GarryP]

I repeat, not being able to speak Thai is not listed as a reason for exemption. We are living in Thailand, if you are a Thai citizen you would be expected to speak Thai (regardless the reality).

As to the rest I tink you misread what I said. The average luk kreung would have no problem. But many of the exclusive set do not mix with Thais outside their set. They become quite cliquey and do not mix with the average joe Thai. I had never thought about this before but asked my son whether he was worried about being picked on if conscripted. He explained to me that he was not at all worried. It was a non-issue for him. He went to ordinary schools, all his friends are Thais, he thinks of himself as Thai and others see him as a Thai. He told me that it would be a different matter for those luk kreungs who have become westernized through their inter school environments and cannot relate to the average Thai. This has got nothing to do with understanding Thai culture. Understanding and being part of something are different matters.

Apologies for the rambling post. Friday evening and I want to go home.

[chotthee]

Mark wish his father had read this forum.

He would not have the fake/copy Sor Dor 9 issue accused by the opposition.

Poor guy.

[Trembly]

A Thai serviceman is a member of the Thai Armed Forces, which would mean that he is a member of the Ministry of Defence, which would make him a kha-rachagan.

Kha-rachagan translates into "Person in his Majesty's Service"; an all encompassing term that covers all policemen, armed servicemen, government teachers, government janitors (yes, they exist) and all other civil servants of every single description in any government department or ministry but does NOT include temporary / contract employees of any of those departments or ministries.

By Royal decree all kha-rachagan must be literate in Thai.

If he can't speak, read or write Thai to at least lower-secondary school standard then he will not be accepted as a kha-rachagan of any kind.

The buck stops at whether you qualify to be a kha-rachagan or not. That is the go / no-go gauge.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Trembly