Some Military Advice?

[RipperRoo]

Hello!

I'm new here, so my apologies if this may have been posted before. I had a look and I didn't see anything that helps me out with my situation, so I registered to start a new topic.

I'm a duel Thai/Australian citizen, my mother being Thai, and recently I've moved up to Thailand for a while, for personal reasons. Thing is, I've turned 21 just last year, and I'm going to have to go through that lottery for joining the military.

Now, my main problem with this is that I don't speak a word of Thai. I moved to Australia when I was very small, am fluent only in English, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, should I be (un)lucky enough to get chosen. I should probably mention here that I've taken holidays in Thailand and I've had things such as my Thai ID and such sorted out, too.

I've read of some people claiming non-Thai speakers are exempt from military service, but if this is the case, could anyone please direct me to some more concrete confirmation of this? I mean, it's logical, but I'd prefer not to assume without solid information from official sources, you know?

Thanks a lot for any help you could give me!

(Also, sorry if this is posted in the wrong subforum! I'm not sure where else this should be posted in)

[bina]

personal message member samran.... been htere done that he will give u the best and probably most up to date advice.. (he's thai/aussie)

bina

isarel

[swissie]

Go to any Thai-Embassy / Consulate and present your case. Then await a (written) response. Thats all you have to do. If they don't know, who does. Cheers.

[beano2274]

Go to any Thai-Embassy / Consulate and present your case. Then await a (written) response. Thats all you have to do. If they don't know, who does. Cheers.

According to the OP he is in Thailand, and therefore there are no Thai Consulates or Embassies here.

[RipperRoo]

Thanks for the replies so far! I've sent a message to Samran, and I'll organize for someone to contact some embassies back home in Australia to see what they have to say on the matter. If anyone else can offer advice here, please do so!

[samran]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

[Thongkorn]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

How would he be any good as a translater , He cannot read or speak Thai,.

[samran]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

How would he be any good as a translater , He cannot read or speak Thai,.

Who said they'd need him as a translator?

Govt departments (and I've worked in them) have plenty of people competent in English, though hardly good enough for polished correspondence, or to sit in on discussions and pick up all the nuances of a conversation.

Someone like the OP could easily work in English with the rest of the team, as someone who polishes presentations and speaches (or writes them), re-explaining items, dealing with day to day correspondence etc etc.

Edited January 6, 2011 by samran

[Indo-Siam]

To the OP:

The lottery is carried out separately within different conscription jurisdictions, based on just the candidates domiciled (on tabiehn bahn) within that jurisdiction.

The lottery only takes place within a jurisdiction, if insufficient volunteer enlistees originate from that jurisdiction.

If you presently are not on a tabiehn bahn anywhere, you will first have to establish such a domicile, so as to be included in a jurisdictional lottery pool.

But - you have the ability to select your jurisdiction.

So - what you want to do (and I don't know exactly how to do this) will be to carry out research, and locate jurisdictions that have either no unfulfilled recruiting slots (meaning enough volunteers that they do not execute the lottery there), or that have very few open slots, compared to the size of the lottery pool.

You will then have to find a homestead in such a domicile to "adopt" you as a resident (unless you can afford to purchase your own home).

Finally, if you end up in jurisdiction with just one or two openings, prior to filling all slots (and thus canceling the lottery in that jurisdiction), you can try to "hire" local candidates to "volunteer" ahead of the lottery, and thus fill the entire quota.

Realize: Every young man knows that the possible outcomes are:

1. Volunteer and serve a short service tour

2. Not volunteer, "lose" the lottery, and have to serve two years

3. Not volunteer, "win" the lottery, and not have to serve

4. Pursue one of the paths - in high school or university - that gives them an exemption from active service

There are people that volunteer to serve. Now - if I was a young man who intended to volunteer, and I lived in a jurisdiction that had only a handful of unfulfilled quota slots - my thought process just might be:

"I can volunteer right now, get nothing, and go serve six months - and its all over. Or - I can wait until just before the lottery - maybe link up with a few other men who intend to volunteer - and then - just before the lottery, we can offer to "pass the hat" among all the potential candidates - and invite them to make a cash contribution, to ensure no lottery. We then take up the hat, split the proceeds, and then go sign up voluntarily. Everybody wins."

So - it just may be possible to find such a situation - and exploit it. All because: you can "cherry pick" your domicile.

Good luck!

Indo-Siam

(US Army Infantry - '78-'88)

[Kan Win]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

How would he be any good as a translater , He cannot read or speak Thai,.

Who said they'd need him as a translator?

Govt departments (and I've worked in them) have plenty of people competent in English, though hardly good enough for polished correspondence, or to sit in on discussions and pick up all the nuances of a conversation.

Someone like the OP could easily work in English with the rest of the team, as someone who polishes presentations and speaches (or writes them), re-explaining items, dealing with day to day correspondence etc etc.

Good posts samran.

If the Op RipperRoo has a Thai ID Card then please do your duty of your King and Country as required and help Thailand. That is my advise.

Sawadee

[Bagwan]

If the Op RipperRoo has a Thai ID Card then please do your duty of your King and Country as required and help Thailand. That is my advise.

Sawadee

And my advice is that the above suggestion be ignored until the Thai Government of the day does its duty towards its own citizens - which for years it has signally failed to do.

[RipperRoo]

Good posts samran.

If the Op RipperRoo has a Thai ID Card then please do your duty of your King and Country as required and help Thailand. That is my advise.

Sawadee

I understand why some would feel that, and I respect this viewpoint - though it doesn't change the fact that an underqualified, non-Thai-speaking, 21-year-old Aussie is probably only going to cause headaches for the military. I feel it is in everyones best interest that I avoid it, and it would also save me quite a bit of trouble, as well. If I want to join the military, I'd go back to Australia and do it where I can speak the language. I'm sure you can understand.

To everyone else; thanks a lot for the great advice. I'll see what I can do and post up the results.

Also, my apologies, but Samran, could you please tell me what the Sasadee is? I'm unfamiliar with this.

Edited January 7, 2011 by RipperRoo

[coma]

Not being able to speak, read or write Thai means you will NOT be required to serve in the Thai Military. In fact you couldn't serve even if you wanted to until your language skills are up to speed.

[coma]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

Being a good English speaker in the Thai military is useless if you don't possess the ability to translate it back into Thai.

[kiwiaussie]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

Being a good English speaker in the Thai military is useless if you don't possess the ability to translate it back into Thai.

and you would know this how exactly?

re-read Samran's post 8#

[coma]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

Being a good English speaker in the Thai military is useless if you don't possess the ability to translate it back into Thai.

and you would know this how exactly?

re-read Samran's post 8#

As exactly as the word "exactly" means. But thank you for your concern.

[samran]

While I have never read of any official rule of allowing lack of thai language ability being a reason for rejection, I do know one person who was rejected for this reason. But I wouldn't count on it as the military intelligence or the foreign relations department could probably use a good english speaker.

It is best that the OP go speak to the sasadee and see what the go actually is.

The other alternative is that if the OP has a university education he can volunteer and only have to serve 6 months - but you must volunteer before the lottery date for that to work. Otherwise he needs to risk the lottery and serve the two years if chosen.

The final option is for the OP to enrol at university and do cadets while studying which will fulfil the service requirements.

Being a good English speaker in the Thai military is useless if you don't possess the ability to translate it back into Thai.

and you would know this how exactly?

re-read Samran's post 8#

As exactly as the word "exactly" means. But thank you for your concern.

eh?

Edited January 7, 2011 by samran