So I was born in Thailand but I moved to Australia when I was young. Haven't learnt how to speak or anything in Thai.

Anyways, I went back when I was 18 but was told to register or something which I did, and got my Thai ID, though now I regret that decision (I was registered under my grandmas house).

So the understanding before was that if I was studying (in Australia), I was let off from national service but it appears that's not the case anymore.

So my question is how can I avoid the national service?

I would like to keep the citizenship if possible (for personal reasons), but if that's not possible can I just relinquish citizenship without repercussions?

If so, what is the process?

Thanks

You might still need to go to the lottery to see if you are drafted, (not sure on that), but during your study you are exempt from service, till you finish or till you are 30.

If now living in Australia you can remove your name from the household registration in Thailand.

Removing your name from the Thabien Bahn (household registration) in Thailand should work as they choose conscripts from that.

You will still be Thai citizen and can carry a Thai passport but must renew it at the Thai Embassy in Australia.

Welcome back son, here is a uniform and a rifle, Pattani area border patrol next.

Ouch, hope not.

They won't draft you if you can't speak or understand enough Thai to follow and relay orders.

However, you still have to present yourself in order for them realise that fact so that they can give you an official exemption. Just get it over with, you'll feel much better.

Edited to add : Employment in the Royal Thai Armed Forces is subject to regulations governing all those In His Majesty's Service (kha-rachagarn) - any persons wishing to enter government service as a kha-rachagarn must be literate in Thai. In many countries there is a division of permanent employees of the state into two groups; the civil service and military. In Thailand they both come under the aegis of Rachagarn with forest rangers, teachers, highway engineers, customs officials, policemen, soldiers etc all being kha-rachagarn together.

Edited December 15, 201213 yr by Trembly

Removing your name from the Thabien Bahn (household registration) in Thailand should work as they choose conscripts from that.

You will still be Thai citizen and can carry a Thai passport but must renew it at the Thai Embassy in Australia.

Very interesting..

They won't draft you if you can't speak or understand enough Thai to follow and relay orders.

However, you still have to present yourself in order for them realise that fact so that they can give you an official exemption. Just get it over with, you'll feel much better.

So play dumb works huh....

Surely not.

They won't draft you if you can't speak or understand enough Thai to follow and relay orders.

However, you still have to present yourself in order for them realise that fact so that they can give you an official exemption. Just get it over with, you'll feel much better.

So play dumb works huh....

Surely not.

He won't be playing dumb. He said so himself that he can't speak Thai. Even if the sasdee thinks he's playing dumb at first they'll soon find out. I very much doubt that he'll make it all the way to boot camp without them twigging that he no sapeek Thai jing jing.

Edited December 15, 201213 yr by Trembly

They won't draft you if you can't speak or understand enough Thai to follow and relay orders.

However, you still have to present yourself in order for them realise that fact so that they can give you an official exemption. Just get it over with, you'll feel much better.

So play dumb works huh....

Surely not.

He won't be playing dumb, will he? He said so himself that he can't speak Thai. Even if the sasdee thinks he's playing dumb at first they'll soon find out . . . as if he'll make it all the way to boot camp without them twigging that he no sapeek Thai.

I'm thinking for my son....nice new strategy has opened up.

But I am wondering if just acting dumb would work....I mean, how many conscripts currently are there ?

They won't draft you if you can't speak or understand enough Thai to follow and relay orders.

However, you still have to present yourself in order for them realise that fact so that they can give you an official exemption. Just get it over with, you'll feel much better.

So play dumb works huh....

Surely not.

He won't be playing dumb, will he? He said so himself that he can't speak Thai. Even if the sasdee thinks he's playing dumb at first they'll soon find out . . . as if he'll make it all the way to boot camp without them twigging that he no sapeek Thai.

I'm thinking for my son....nice new strategy has opened up.

But I am wondering if just acting dumb would work....I mean, how many conscripts currently are there ?

I wouldn't recommend it if he can actually speak Thai. It could go horribly wrong.

From Samran's post in another thread :

Cadets can be done in high school or university too avoid going into the draft. Three years must be done to avoid the draft entirely.

- University education can also be done to defer the draft.

- Those with a university education can volunteer on drafting day, and only have to serve out six months. This is a common way for many families who either don't want to pay the money, or want their sons to have some sort of exposure to the army (this option is fairly common in some hi-so circles)

- You can take your chances with the picking a ball out of the hat. Wrong coloured ball, and you are in for 2 years. Odds for getting chosen depend on how many people have actually volunteered in that disctrict. If the intake is filled by volunteers, no people will be conscripted

I'd just do cadets. It'll give him one day off of school each week which he might enjoy as it gets him out and about playing soldiers. Employers tend to look askance at people who have completely dodged either cadets or national service too.

Edited December 15, 201213 yr by Trembly

Miss 1 day a week of school....to gain experience in what ??

Ridiculous.....

Miss 1 day a week of school....to gain experience in what ??

Ridiculous.....

Running up and down in the heat, learning how to iron and care for your uniform (most cheat and let mummy take care of that after the first instruction), press ups, obstacle courses, star jumps, work parades, some pretend beasting, a little bit of shooting (not real skill at arms / marksmanship training but just enough to let them safely fire a weapon a few times) and a camping exercise in Kanchanaburi at the end.

Officially it's so that everyone can pretend that Thailand has a population of reservists who are ready to answer the call to arms and enlist in an existential crisis. Unofficially it's one of the army's recruitment schemes and a way to instill some common social values and order into the younger generation, which probably does more good than harm. Some of the lads in the school that I teach in are really into it and it shows in their general attitude. The instructors vary greatly in quality, mind you. Not all are regular or even ex-regular (most are only cadet instructors who have a uniform fetish). My school is lucky that one of our teachers / cadet instructors is an ex-reg Marine Corps NCO.

Edited December 15, 201213 yr by Trembly

My kids school costs circa 1900b a day....will they reimburse me those wasted funds ?

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by astral
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My kids school costs circa 1900b a day....will they reimburse me those wasted funds ?

No idea, but my guess is that they'll probably say something along the lines of "no because it's your son's obligation as a Thai citizen and if you don't like it he can try his chances on ballot day each year until he's 30".

The other option is of course to do 6 months reservist training after graduating from university.

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by astral
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I did not know that it was every year until 30 that you have to actually do the draw.....slim odd at not being picked then over all them years.

What about your career....just put that on hold to play dads army for awhile ?

One way or another, my son...unless he decides he wants to, but I know he will not for sure.....will not be made subject to a foolish countries military regime.

If it was half organised and competent...perhaps....but....did you hear about the blimps....blimp ??

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by astral
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If you can afford 1900B a day for school then I think you can afford the tea money to avoid your son being selected for national service.

If he gets conscripted then he has to drop what he's doing and go and do two years in the army or face jail. You can call that a career-break or a career-on-hold or anything you like.

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by astral
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If you can afford 1900B a day for school then I think you can afford the tea money to avoid your son being selected for national service.

good point....just wondering how 'final' it is.

Military service in countries with active war zones equals the poor as canon fodder for the rich who are not going, no way. Go back to Oz or turn up to the interview with your best Crocodile Dundee impersonation and pretend you speak bugger all Thai...sawodhi krep mate. The go is though to act like you can speak Thai but totally stuff if up like a Patpong 3rd trip holidayer.

If you can afford 1900B a day for school then I think you can afford the tea money to avoid your son being selected for national service.

good point....just wondering how 'final' it is.

If the fact of wasting 1900 baht a week for the last 3 years of his school education bothers you then my advice is to just relax, don't worry about it and let him bang out 6 months as a reservist immediately after graduating from university. That way you don't waste any school fees, he hasn't even embarked upon a career yet, and he gets to avoid conscription in a way that is completely legal and final. He will not be sent anywhere near the south because for all of those six months he will be in trainig. They don't even send full-time conscripts to the south - they reserve that posting for career soldiers who volunteer for the danger pay.

Edited December 15, 201213 yr by Trembly

1900 a day not a week read post #13 again

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by astral
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This whole conscription circus is a big time tea money generator. It's not going to stop.

1900 a day, one day a week.

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by astral
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1900 a day, one day a week.

Less school holidays of course.

Edited December 17, 201213 yr by astral
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No worries, pay the tea money.

I did not know that it was every year until 30 that you have to actually do the draw.....slim odd at not being picked then over all them years.

A Thai Citizen is liable / eligible for the Draft Lottery until the age of 30 - however he only needs submit to the Lottery once in that period, not every year.

Patrick

Edited December 16, 201213 yr by p_brownstone

Surely a good bluff for eligable candidates living abroad would be to ask the Thai Military to fund their inbound flight so that they can attend the draft.

Can you select what you want to be....like a heli pilot or a blimp pilot etc

Can you select what you want to be....like a heli pilot or a blimp pilot etc

You can ask for it, but most of the time you'll find yourself mowing the generals lawn or washing his car.

Surely a good bluff for eligable candidates living abroad would be to ask the Thai Military to fund their inbound flight so that they can attend the draft.

living abroad you don't even have to attend.