Conscription For Half Thai Son

[Thai-Aust]

My issue is not for new mum and dad like other topics in the forum but rather for the parent whose son will turn 21 years of age when Thai men will have to apply to serve the country.

My son is half Thai but never has his name in the house register, he doesn't live in Thailand. He will graduate from the Uni this year and will turn 21 by the time he graduates. He can get away with the conscription if his name will never appear in the house register but I want him to have a chance in Thailand where he can live as a Thai citizen. I know he wouldn't mind to become Thai soldier but the problem is he has a limited Thai language skills and of course with the university degree he can work in another country with a decent pay. We might decide for him to become a professional officer but the problem is he's only half Thai, which may not be acceptable since any professional officer must have their full Thai parents and granparents.

I've been wondering if anyone has any experience some thing like this before and how they deal with it?

[dixonbm]

He may be able to apply for a waiver since he lives outside the country. Based on what a Thai friend told me it's also possible to bribe an official to 'take care' of the requirement for you.

[MikeyIdea]

Exception is easy to get in a case like this. If a call ever comes, then it's just for him to request an exception based on the fact that he doesn't speak, read or write Thai.

The Thai army doesn't want to have stubborn westernized Thais who have been taught to loudly question everything said in their ranks

"We might decide for him to become a professional officer " Pardon for asking but isn't his profession his decision to take and not the parents?

[Thai-Aust]

The Thai army doesn't want to have stubborn westernized Thais who have been taught to loudly question everything said in their ranks

"We might decide for him to become a professional officer " Pardon for asking but isn't his profession his decision to take and not the parents?

Appreciate your answer but I think you might be a little bit look down on Thai Forces. This is the law, and it doesn't discriminate whether or not you can speak, read, or write Thai. As long as you call yourself Thai, you must adhere to the law.

Yes, you're right, it's his decision to take about his profession, I might have to rephrase that so that it will read, we - everyone including himself - might decide ......

[MikeyIdea]

I have had a couple of cases of people at work who requested exception and they were all granted without fuss. From what I have heard, it's not difficult at all. Then of course, agree, nothing is certain in Thailand

[sbk]

You might consider PMing samran, he is half thai and has some experience with the conscription waiver.

My understanding is that if he does not have a Thai id card and does not get one until a certain age (35 maybe?) then he will not need to undergo the conscription lottery.

That said, I am not really sure what your goal is here, does your son want to live in thailand??

[Thongkorn]

He may be able to apply for a waiver since he lives outside the country. Based on what a Thai friend told me it's also possible to bribe an official to 'take care' of the requirement for you.

Nice to see a professional Army

[Boo]

The thai army will not take a half thai who can't read write & speak thai like a native born & raised thai person. He will be exempted for that reason alone. If he moves back to Thailand over the age of 30 he will also be exempted but may be placed on the reserves list, as all thai males are.

[Thai-Aust]

You might consider PMing samran, he is half thai and has some experience with the conscription waiver.

My understanding is that if he does not have a Thai id card and does not get one until a certain age (35 maybe?) then he will not need to undergo the conscription lottery.

That said, I am not really sure what your goal is here, does your son want to live in thailand??

The thai army will not take a half thai who can't read write & speak thai like a native born & raised thai person. He will be exempted for that reason alone. If he moves back to Thailand over the age of 30 he will also be exempted but may be placed on the reserves list, as all thai males are.

Thanks guys. And yes, my son wants to live in Thailand that is why we were seeking the alternative to apply to be a professional officer rather than just private. But I just got a response from some credible source that half Thai is not qualified, only full blood.

If he will get exempted on the basis of language, then that will be a relief.

[sbk]

PM samran, I do not believe that is true. He "reported" for conscription well past his use by date so they turned him down.

OK, use by date for the military, no offense samran, in any other way I am sure you dont' even have a "use by" date

[scorecard]

Perhaps off your original question but you mention that your son is not recorded on a Thai Tabien Baan, but does he in fact have a Thai passport? My guess from your original post is that he doesn't.

I'm no expert on these matters, but if he can receive a Thai passport (as well as Australian passport) then surely that would be to his future advantage, so that he could work in Thailand (if he wishes to of course) without work permit etc.

I'm aware that Thailand and Australia are quite relaxed about dual passports.

[Thai-Aust]

Perhaps off your original question but you mention that your son is not recorded on a Thai Tabien Baan, but does he in fact have a Thai passport? My guess from your original post is that he doesn't.

I'm no expert on these matters, but if he can receive a Thai passport (as well as Australian passport) then surely that would be to his future advantage, so that he could work in Thailand (if he wishes to of course) without work permit etc.

I'm aware that Thailand and Australia are quite relaxed about dual passports.

yes, scorecard, he had Thai passport at the time he was born. he never got it renew after the first and only one had expired.

and yes, it's always advantages if someone can live permanently more than 1 country. more opportunities in every way.

[samran]

My issue is not for new mum and dad like other topics in the forum but rather for the parent whose son will turn 21 years of age when Thai men will have to apply to serve the country.

My son is half Thai but never has his name in the house register, he doesn't live in Thailand. He will graduate from the Uni this year and will turn 21 by the time he graduates. He can get away with the conscription if his name will never appear in the house register but I want him to have a chance in Thailand where he can live as a Thai citizen. I know he wouldn't mind to become Thai soldier but the problem is he has a limited Thai language skills and of course with the university degree he can work in another country with a decent pay. We might decide for him to become a professional officer but the problem is he's only half Thai, which may not be acceptable since any professional officer must have their full Thai parents and granparents.

I've been wondering if anyone has any experience some thing like this before and how they deal with it? cool.gif

1) Where was your son born? If he is not on the house register, but has a Thai passport then my guess he was born in OZ and then you had him registered via the embassy in Canberra.

2) Is he planning on going to live in Thailand anytime soon? If not, then you have nothing to worry about, living overseas can be an reason for not reporting for conscription. If he is looking to visit Thailand for extended periods of time, then again, no stress. He can use his Thai passport to enter Thailand and stay as long as he wants. I did the same thing, regularly coming and going and staying for long-ish periods in Thailand during my 20's, with no problems whatsoever.

It is only when he is looking to live there full time is the obligated to get an ID card (which requires him to be on the house registration), thus putting him (maybe) on the radar of conscription officials.

If he is planning on visiting Thailand, doing a gap year there etc, I recommend this, he can just go to Thialand, enter on his Thai passport and spend as much time as he needs to there. Note, he'll only be able to get a Thai passport from the embassy in Canberra to do this, as they don't require you to be on the house registry and have an ID card to apply for a passport (the same isn't true in Thailand). With this Canberra issued passport he can come and go from Thailand as he pleases, but if he needs a new passport while in Thailand he'll have to get an ID card for the passport office there for them to issue him with one. If he wants to avoid being on the radar of the military people however, he'll need to come back to Canberra to get any subsequent Thai passports where he can reply without an Thai ID card.

Once he turns 30, he'll automatically be exempt from military duties. He can turn up, like I did, and be automatically released from conscription. The max fine for people who report after 30 is 400 baht.

[Thai-Aust]

thanks Samran.

However, our intention is to become an air force officer more than anything else. Rather than serving the country as a private, it would be nice to use his degree to apply for an officer so that he can have some experiences in military which he enjoys.

It's now quite clear to us that he is not qualified for the officer since he is only half Thai. And having to join the forces with a limited language skills will not be fun. Maybe he will have to follow your footsteps, just come and go and keep on applying for new passports in Sydney when needed.

The problem I can see is he would have legal implications if he wants to work in Thailand before he turns 30. To work as a Thai citizen he will be required to have an ID card which means he will have to put his name in a house register. Then this conscription thing will resurface.

Your reply would be useful for parents of a growing number of young half Thai males, I'm sure.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Thai-Aust

[lucjoker]

He may be able to apply for a waiver since he lives outside the country. Based on what a Thai friend told me it's also possible to bribe an official to 'take care' of the requirement for you.

Are you serious?

Your son will serve as kanon-meat for the crazy politicians !

There is NO honour to gain as a military man ,it's all corrupt ,or dont you know what happens in thailand ????

You want him to go shoot some reds? Or get shot at ?

it's an insane idee !!!

[samran]

thanks Samran.

However, our intention is to become an air force officer more than anything else. Rather than serving the country as a private, it would be nice to use his degree to apply for an officer so that he can have some experiences in military which he enjoys.

It's now quite clear to us that he is not qualified for the officer since he is only half Thai. And having to join the forces with a limited language skills will not be fun. Maybe he will have to follow your footsteps, just come and go and keep on applying for new passports in Sydney when needed.

The problem I can see is he would have legal implications if he wants to work in Thailand before he turns 30. To work as a Thai citizen he will be required to have an ID card which means he will have to put his name in a house register. Then this conscription thing will resurface.

Your reply would be useful for parents of a growing number of young half Thai males, I'm sure.

He's qualified to be an officer because he's got a degree. Ancestory has little to do with it. Having read the rules, they don't discriminate. Really. Given his fluent english, it is unlikley he'll be used as cannon fodder. More likely, he'll be given a role in PR, international liason or military intelligence.

If you are worried about the conscription thing, you should know that if he has a degree and volunteers on conscription day, he'll only have to serve 6 months, as opposed to the 2 years if you are chosen in the lottery. If he doesn't volunteer (but has a degree) he'll still do the 2 years.

In terms of short stays in Thailand, he can still work, I did 3/6 month vacation work and internships using my Thai passport with no consequence. Just that when living there long term, having an ID is useful for things like getting a credit card, drivers license, paying tax etc..

[donx]

Your son has a Thai passport but it expired and was never renewed. My son, age 9, had his passport renewed last year in the US. At the embassy we were told that our son will have to appear at the embassy when he turns 17 to be put on the list for conscription. The man who made his passport also said that if he didn't appear at age 17 he would be in violation of the law. Now this must be a recent change since this was not discussed with us when we got the first passport. The man assured us that it wasn't very likely that our son would have to serve in the Thai military but it was a possibility.

My guess is that when your son goes to the embassy to renew his passport, he will be asked to participate in the conscription program.

[Thai-Aust]

He's qualified to be an officer because he's got a degree. Ancestory has little to do with it.

If you are worried about the conscription thing, you should know that if he has a degree and volunteers on conscription day, he'll only have to serve 6 months, as opposed to the 2 years if you are chosen in the lottery. If he doesn't volunteer (but has a degree) he'll still do the 2 years.

Umm.. not sure what you said ancestory has little to do with becoming an officer. I have actually asked personnel at the Air Force, it says clearly that to become an Air Force officer, one must have parents of Thai national ONLY. No concessions.

Your son has a Thai passport but it expired and was never renewed. My son, age 9, had his passport renewed last year in the US. At the embassy we were told that our son will have to appear at the embassy when he turns 17 to be put on the list for conscription. The man who made his passport also said that if he didn't appear at age 17 he would be in violation of the law. Now this must be a recent change since this was not discussed with us when we got the first passport. The man assured us that it wasn't very likely that our son would have to serve in the Thai military but it was a possibility.

My guess is that when your son goes to the embassy to renew his passport, he will be asked to participate in the conscription program.

Yes, that could happen. But as you may realise, every embassy has its own law interpretation. Depending on who you talk to really. But I guess it makes sense that overseas born and bred should not have to serve in the military due to the language difficulty.