Thai Army Cadets

[Waterloo]

Hi

as the father of 2 very young Luk Keung only one of whom is a boy I have been reading with interest the various threads on Thai Army conscription.

Now we currently live in the UK & the children are so young that it is entirely possible that things could have changed completely before there are any implications for us personaly so I am not seeking anymore information on this subject.

I am however curious if anyone has any personnal experience of the Thai Army Cadets, as an ex army cadet in the UK I am curious as to how they compare?

[samran]

No experience myself, but they are done through school in Thailand one day a week for 2 years during school. By doing this, they are exempt from having to report for the draft when they turn 20.

From what my friends have told me, it is a bit of good fun which gets them out of class.

What I do have experience in, is that if your children don't live in Thailand full time until they are 30' then they don't have to report. Past 30, and they are exempt from duty.

[Waterloo]

Cheers for the feedback Samran

In the UK you can join the Cadets at 13 & are not required to leave until you are 18.

Usually involves one evening a week & a weeks camp away from home, personally I had a great time.

[breadbin]

No experience myself, but they are done through school in Thailand one day a week for 2 years during school. By doing this, they are exempt from having to report for the draft when they turn 20.

From what my friends have told me, it is a bit of good fun which gets them out of class.

What I do have experience in, is that if your children don't live in Thailand full time until they are 30' then they don't have to report. Past 30, and they are exempt from duty.

quite right.

The wifes' nephew did it up in Udon, he enjoyed it but still turned out to be a very lazy so and so!

not really sure why the OP is aking though is his kids are in UK.

[breadbin]

Cheers for the feedback Samran

In the UK you can join the Cadets at 13 & are not required to leave until you are 18.

Usually involves one evening a week & a weeks camp away from home, personally I had a great time.

Me too, got me out and about, made friends, learned a bit, no pressure to join regulars but i joined RN when I was 17. great times, left early and still regret in now 15 years on! cest la vie

IM) the forces do make men of boys.

[robblok]

No experience myself, but they are done through school in Thailand one day a week for 2 years during school. By doing this, they are exempt from having to report for the draft when they turn 20.

From what my friends have told me, it is a bit of good fun which gets them out of class.

What I do have experience in, is that if your children don't live in Thailand full time until they are 30' then they don't have to report. Past 30, and they are exempt from duty.

quite right.

The wifes' nephew did it up in Udon, he enjoyed it but still turned out to be a very lazy so and so!

not really sure why the OP is aking though is his kids are in UK.

So there are still people who believe that the army turns people into non lazy productive people.

Your either not lazy and have good character a year or so on the army isnt going to change years of upbringing and base character of someone.

[Waterloo]

Hi Breadbin

As stated in my original post I have no vested interest currently in Thai Conscription & won't have for 16 to 18 years & make no comments on the rights or wrongs currently of Thai Conscription.

However I do read the various threads on the subject & the Cadet option nearly always gets a mention but no one expands on this.

Having googled the subject myself I could only find one small mention on what appeared to be a Thai private school.

Does anyone know if the Thai Cadets are only affiliatted to private schools, or are they an option open to any Thai school boy?

[samran]

Hi Breadbin

As stated in my original post I have no vested interest currently in Thai Conscription & won't have for 16 to 18 years & make no comments on the rights or wrongs currently of Thai Conscription.

However I do read the various threads on the subject & the Cadet option nearly always gets a mention but no one expands on this.

Having googled the subject myself I could only find one small mention on what appeared to be a Thai private school.

Does anyone know if the Thai Cadets are only affiliatted to private schools, or are they an option open to any Thai school boy?

wouldn't have thought so. But I don't think 'every' school has access to the programme either.

Also know that it is possible to do it via Thai universities as well.

[transam]

Our lad is 17, at high school doing a three year military course. He is so lazy l have given up, HE thinks his future life will be taken care of in the military. I told him,

''You are not military material cos you don't give a shit about anything, you can't even take care of you m/cycle, your mum cleans it ''.

Sooooo, l am out of the equation, sadly. Seems me, a farang, knows nothing, only Thais know.

[Trembly]

Google "Youth army reserves Bangkok Post"

[Trembly]

Hi Breadbin

As stated in my original post I have no vested interest currently in Thai Conscription & won't have for 16 to 18 years & make no comments on the rights or wrongs currently of Thai Conscription.

However I do read the various threads on the subject & the Cadet option nearly always gets a mention but no one expands on this.

Having googled the subject myself I could only find one small mention on what appeared to be a Thai private school.

Does anyone know if the Thai Cadets are only affiliatted to private schools, or are they an option open to any Thai school boy?

They can be affiliated with any school, private or state but as Samran says not all schools have their own cadet units for various reasons, usually to do with student numbers and staff.

The สัสดี (sasdi / sassdi / sassadee / sassadi) I spoke to in Chiang Rai Municipality told me that he would personally exempt (from conscription) any loog-kreung whom he thought would have a hard time in the Thai armed forces owing to language or cultural barriers or had already served in a foreign armed force as it could be argued that he had already done his time. I didn't question him any further but I assume that the rationale is that the loog-krueng is already trained up and therefore constitutes a possible reservist for Thailand's next existential crisis . . .

Then again he seemed to me to be much more like a kindly and fay geography teacher who doubles as a careers adviser than an Army Recruiting Officer, or Corporal, in his case. If any of you are living in Chiang Rai and your loog-krueng sons are worried about being imminently conscripted I recommend you go to see this chap now while he's still posted there because he seems like a nice chap! He looks to be in his late twenties / early thirties and wears glasses.

[samran]

Hi Breadbin

As stated in my original post I have no vested interest currently in Thai Conscription & won't have for 16 to 18 years & make no comments on the rights or wrongs currently of Thai Conscription.

However I do read the various threads on the subject & the Cadet option nearly always gets a mention but no one expands on this.

Having googled the subject myself I could only find one small mention on what appeared to be a Thai private school.

Does anyone know if the Thai Cadets are only affiliatted to private schools, or are they an option open to any Thai school boy?

They can be affiliated with any school, private or state but as Samran says not all schools have their own cadet units for various reasons, usually to do with student numbers and staff.

The สัสดี (sasdi / sassdi / sassadee / sassadi) I spoke to in Chiang Rai Municipality told me that he would personally exempt (from conscription) any loog-kreung whom he thought would have a hard time in the Thai armed forces owing to language or cultural barriers or had already served in a foreign armed force as it could be argued that he had already done his time. I didn't question him any further but I assume that the rationale is that the loog-krueng is already trained up and therefore constitutes a possible reservist for Thailand's next existential crisis . . .

Then again he seemed to me to be much more like a kindly and fay geography teacher who doubles as a careers adviser than an Army Recruiting Officer, or Corporal, in his case. If any of you are living in Chiang Rai and your loog-krueng sons are worried about being imminently conscripted I recommend you go to see this chap now while he's still posted there because he seems like a nice chap! He looks to be in his late twenties / early thirties and wears glasses.

I have heard from a couple of sources that Thai language ability is a requirement for conscripts, but, having scoured the rules myself, have yet to see that rule. Nevertheless, they got out of being called up due to that.

The one about having served in the military elsewhere I have seen in the rules as a potential exemption, but who knows what would be deemed equivalent?

[Trembly]

Hi Breadbin

As stated in my original post I have no vested interest currently in Thai Conscription & won't have for 16 to 18 years & make no comments on the rights or wrongs currently of Thai Conscription.

However I do read the various threads on the subject & the Cadet option nearly always gets a mention but no one expands on this.

Having googled the subject myself I could only find one small mention on what appeared to be a Thai private school.

Does anyone know if the Thai Cadets are only affiliatted to private schools, or are they an option open to any Thai school boy?

They can be affiliated with any school, private or state but as Samran says not all schools have their own cadet units for various reasons, usually to do with student numbers and staff.

The สัสดี (sasdi / sassdi / sassadee / sassadi) I spoke to in Chiang Rai Municipality told me that he would personally exempt (from conscription) any loog-kreung whom he thought would have a hard time in the Thai armed forces owing to language or cultural barriers or had already served in a foreign armed force as it could be argued that he had already done his time. I didn't question him any further but I assume that the rationale is that the loog-krueng is already trained up and therefore constitutes a possible reservist for Thailand's next existential crisis . . .

Then again he seemed to me to be much more like a kindly and fay geography teacher who doubles as a careers adviser than an Army Recruiting Officer, or Corporal, in his case. If any of you are living in Chiang Rai and your loog-krueng sons are worried about being imminently conscripted I recommend you go to see this chap now while he's still posted there because he seems like a nice chap! He looks to be in his late twenties / early thirties and wears glasses.

I have heard from a couple of sources that Thai language ability is a requirement for conscripts, but, having scoured the rules myself, have yet to see that rule. Nevertheless, they got out of being called up due to that.

The one about having served in the military elsewhere I have seen in the rules as a potential exemption, but who knows what would be deemed equivalent?

It has just occurred to me that military service in a foreign military could be deemed a security risk. Given that the Army recruiting staff I'm talking about thought / assumed that the UK still has conscription I wouldn't be surprised if they were to think that cadets in the UK are equivalent to Thai cadets (I've never been in either so I can't comment on that one), especially if you can produce some bits of official looking bits of paper pertaining to your cadet 'service'.

[samran]

Hi Breadbin

As stated in my original post I have no vested interest currently in Thai Conscription & won't have for 16 to 18 years & make no comments on the rights or wrongs currently of Thai Conscription.

However I do read the various threads on the subject & the Cadet option nearly always gets a mention but no one expands on this.

Having googled the subject myself I could only find one small mention on what appeared to be a Thai private school.

Does anyone know if the Thai Cadets are only affiliatted to private schools, or are they an option open to any Thai school boy?

They can be affiliated with any school, private or state but as Samran says not all schools have their own cadet units for various reasons, usually to do with student numbers and staff.

The สัสดี (sasdi / sassdi / sassadee / sassadi) I spoke to in Chiang Rai Municipality told me that he would personally exempt (from conscription) any loog-kreung whom he thought would have a hard time in the Thai armed forces owing to language or cultural barriers or had already served in a foreign armed force as it could be argued that he had already done his time. I didn't question him any further but I assume that the rationale is that the loog-krueng is already trained up and therefore constitutes a possible reservist for Thailand's next existential crisis . . .

Then again he seemed to me to be much more like a kindly and fay geography teacher who doubles as a careers adviser than an Army Recruiting Officer, or Corporal, in his case. If any of you are living in Chiang Rai and your loog-krueng sons are worried about being imminently conscripted I recommend you go to see this chap now while he's still posted there because he seems like a nice chap! He looks to be in his late twenties / early thirties and wears glasses.

I have heard from a couple of sources that Thai language ability is a requirement for conscripts, but, having scoured the rules myself, have yet to see that rule. Nevertheless, they got out of being called up due to that.

The one about having served in the military elsewhere I have seen in the rules as a potential exemption, but who knows what would be deemed equivalent?

It has just occurred to me that military service in a foreign military could be deemed a security risk. Given that the Army recruiting staff I'm talking about thought / assumed that the UK still has conscription I wouldn't be surprised if they were to think that cadets in the UK are equivalent to Thai cadets (I've never been in either so I can't comment on that one), especially if you can produce some bits of official looking bits of paper pertaining to your cadet 'service'.

unless its a country we are at war with, I'd doubt it.

The rules - which I haven't had to read for a few years now!! - basically say that if equivalent military service has been done elsewhere, then you are exempted. What that exactly means though, who knows?

[Trembly]

unless its a country we are at war with, I'd doubt it.

The rules - which I haven't had to read for a few years now!! - basically say that if equivalent military service has been done elsewhere, then you are exempted. What that exactly means though, who knows?

Not doubting the regulations on conscription but regarding security risk :

In my own personal experience working as a consultant to a higher up in a certain Military department I was told to "don't, under any circumstances, volunteer that you have any other citizenship other than Thai - do your best to avoid the subject". The officer knows full well that I also hold some other hold Anglo-Saxon bloc citizenships. Maybe he/she is paranoid, or maybe he/she just knows that there are others in the military who are that paranoid, or he/she just considered my other nationalities and association to him/her a potential (internal) political risk for him/herself. Either way, it's telling that a senior and experienced officer would rather keep a consultant's foreign nationalities very hush hush.

[samran]

unless its a country we are at war with, I'd doubt it.

The rules - which I haven't had to read for a few years now!! - basically say that if equivalent military service has been done elsewhere, then you are exempted. What that exactly means though, who knows?

Not doubting the regulations on conscription but regarding security risk :

In my own personal experience working as a consultant to a higher up in a certain Military department I was told to "don't, under any circumstances, volunteer that you have any other citizenship other than Thai - do your best to avoid the subject". The officer knows full well that I also hold some other hold Anglo-Saxon bloc citizenships. Maybe he/she is paranoid, or maybe he/she just knows that there are others in the military who are that paranoid, or he/she just considered my other nationalities and association to him/her a potential (internal) political risk for him/herself. Either way, it's telling that a senior and experienced officer would rather keep a consultant's foreign nationalities very hush hush.

that is an interesting tidbit. Thanks for sharing. Doesn't surprise me.

It would be nice though that if all a luuk krung had to do was wave his foreign passport to get out of military service, then Abhisit could have saved himself heaps of grief and I wouldn't be the only one who can answer the ins and outs of the process on these monthly threads

[Waterloo]

Cheers Trembly

For the steer the Bangkok Post article has now been archived so I couldn't read all of it but changing my search criteria as suggested has led to severale other articles, very interesting.

I would still be interested to hear from anyone who has actualy done service in the Cadets

[Semper]

No experience myself, but they are done through school in Thailand one day a week for 2 years during school. By doing this, they are exempt from having to report for the draft when they turn 20.

From what my friends have told me, it is a bit of good fun which gets them out of class.

What I do have experience in, is that if your children don't live in Thailand full time until they are 30' then they don't have to report. Past 30, and they are exempt from duty.

quite right.

The wifes' nephew did it up in Udon, he enjoyed it but still turned out to be a very lazy so and so!

not really sure why the OP is aking though is his kids are in UK.

So there are still people who believe that the army turns people into non lazy productive people.

Your either not lazy and have good character a year or so on the army isnt going to change years of upbringing and base character of someone.

You're correct. SIL is doing his two years of duty on the holidays he comes home and does absolutely nothing but eat, sleep and play games on the internet. Last time was enough for my wife though, she told him not to come back home during holidays anymore.