Thai Army Call Up For My Son

[Livinginexile]

Without giving blatant illegal advice, please be assured it is VERY common here for Thai conscription to be avoided via other means. At least 1/3 of my university students go this route. Just ask around (on another forum?) or perhaps any other Thai friends you may have.

Yes you are correct.

Recently my company advertised for Mechanical and electrical engineers.

ALL the CV's we recieved had "exempt from military service"! Everyone of them, and we recieved over 50!

Do they pay? or are university students exempt?

[MikeyIdea]

It is easy to get exempt from military service. 2 guys in my department got letters over the years and in both cases, the department manager wrote a letter requesting delay due to important company matters that required the guys presence. Reply that it had been granted came quickly both times.

University students don't pay, it's rather that the army doesn't necessarily want them and there are more than they need of more suitable material around

[torrenova]

My daughter is on a Tabien Bahn and has been since shortly after birth. She would continue to be registered even if she lived outside of Thailand for 50 years. I would suspect the OP's son is also registered but he would not have the ID card. As he speaks no Thai, he would presumably be excused on those grounds alone. I would probably try to deal with it before heading back to Thailand but I would be wary of someone trying to cause problems for one reason or another, usually for financial gain.

[vicharnuchsiri]

It depends whether he wants to live in Thailand, under his Thai passport for any extended period of time. I was born in Thailand, but studied and lived in the UK. I made a few missteps a long the way on that matter. I only filed the paper with the Army once when I turned 21 that I was at the time still a University student and therefore I was exempted for an academic year and then I neglected to file another paper with them.

I was able to go in and out of Thailand as I pleased. Recently I decided to come back to spend time with my family here so with my dad help I went to the Army recruiting station (Sasadee) of the district I went to primary school in. The matter was slowly sorted out, over the period of two to three months. If you decide to go this route, he will pick up a draft and has to report to the recruiter at the appointed time and place. They will give him a medical examination. There is a possibility of him not passing the medical examination, due to his lack of proficiency in Thai language (spoken and written). It is not something to be scared of. Army has been very picky. because they are too having budget crisis any other government ministries. Many people are rejected, because they were too fat, or too skinny. I'm sure they wouldn't like to spend anytime teaching Thai to anyone.

Just go and talk to them next time he's in Thailand. It is not extraditable offense like any other non-violent "crimes". Army will never enforce a draft on anyone living abroad but he will run into some trouble if he tried to get a job in Thailand by the virtue being a Thai national, perspective employers will ask to see his military record. It is very difficult thing to explain for anyone who hasn't gone through to the process.

If I sound like an Army's pet, well I do apologize. I wholeheartedly disagree with the whole thing but I had to do what I got to do so they will just leave alone.

Edited December 23, 2009 by vicharnuchsiri