Reserve Act Opens 12 Million to Summary Military Conscription
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Men line up at a Khon Kaen conscription center on April 7, 2014.

BANGKOK — A law granting the military authority to order 300,000 men into service annually was recently passed by the junta-appointed legislature with little public debate and no opposition beyond an emerging online campaign against it.

An online petition launched Tuesday against the Armed Forces Reserve Act, passed recently by the military-stacked interim legislature, said that exposing 12 million men to summary conscription would lead to social and economic instability.

“If the draft comes into effect, it will bring a lot more economical and social problems,” read the petition. “The 12 million men who can be summoned already have their own professions which are part of developing the country too in some way.”

The new law empowers the Defense Ministry to call up to 2.5 percent of the 12 million reserve forces for service, and refusing to serve would be punishable by four years in jail. In Thailand, all men eligible to serve are considered in reserve once they register at 18 until they age out at 30. Reserves include those who were students in the territorial defense program, a usual mechanism for avoiding conscription.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1448010209


-- Khaosod English 2015-11-20

Now this will really annoy a lot of people. Passing this type of law on the quiet is absolutely outrageous.

What the hell is the point of this law, are there not more pressing matters to attend?

I dont suppose a budget of X,XXX baht per month would need to allocated for each of those 300,000 people? Who could presumably return home if they forfeit their salary as long as they turn up at the end.

What? There must be a shortage of personal servants for the top brass.

What? There must be a shortage of personal servants for the top brass.

I was drafted in middle Europe.....

As drafted soldier you are a slave....

Bad news......

Reserve act opens 12 million Thai men to summary military conscription pockets of generals to get PAID for excusing them from service.

Wow the admirals really have a need for having their cars washed.

What? There must be a shortage of personal servants for the top brass.

I was drafted in middle Europe.....

As drafted soldier you are a slave....

Middle Europe??????

Did the French Foreign Legion get you? Maybe Hitler or Stalin forced you to fight??

Middle Europe??????

Where is your esprit de corps?? You are anti-capitalist H90, so you should be tickled pink to have been a slave to a government, any government.

Government ALWAYS knows what's best. The free market is dominated by us capitalist thugs that believe in freedom.

---------------

Sorry H90 - you seem like a nice guy & I'm NOT attacking nor flaming you. I just saw in another thread where you said you were anti-capitalist, so I am arguing with your beliefs. I'm sure you are a great person & it's not my intent to make any enemies anywhere.

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by jaywalker

What is this point that Prayut - O seems to be making, perhaps he requires more men to replace the ones that will refuse to fire at their Mothers , Fathers , Brothers, Sisters and other family members and defected to the other side , just like it happened all those years ago, It's called forward planning ...................

What is this point that Prayut - O seems to be making, perhaps he requires more men to replace the ones that will refuse to fire at their Mothers , Fathers , Brothers, Sisters and other family members and defected to the other side , just like it happened all those years ago, It's called forward planning ...................

I shouldn't imagine any such conscripts would be any more enthusiastic or ( politically) motivated soldiers than the lot they have already!

Of course, they may be trying to increase the number of soldiers, so that it more realistically reflects the number of generals.

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by JAG

What is this point that Prayut - O seems to be making, perhaps he requires more men to replace the ones that will refuse to fire at their Mothers , Fathers , Brothers, Sisters and other family members and defected to the other side , just like it happened all those years ago, It's called forward planning ...................

That truly WOULD be a first if you are correct.

The forward planning part....

I sincerely doubt that forward planning will ever be an issue in Thailand.

Who are they planning on invading?

What? There must be a shortage of personal servants for the top brass.

I was drafted in middle Europe.....

As drafted soldier you are a slave....

Middle Europe??????

Did the French Foreign Legion get you? Maybe Hitler or Stalin forced you to fight??

Middle Europe??????

Where is your esprit de corps?? You are anti-capitalist H90, so you should be tickled pink to have been a slave to a government, any government.

Government ALWAYS knows what's best. The free market is dominated by us capitalist thugs that believe in freedom.

---------------

Sorry H90 - you seem like a nice guy & I'm NOT attacking nor flaming you. I just saw in another thread where you said you were anti-capitalist, so I am arguing with your beliefs. I'm sure you are a great person & it's not my intent to make any enemies anywhere.

I think the French Foreign Legion is not drafting people, and I was lucky enough to be not born yet at the second worldwar.

Austria is was.....around year 2000

I don't remember in what connection I said that I am anti-capitalist. I doubt I said it that way.

I could even find some good points on a drafted army and Austria recently had a public vote to continue that. Problem is you can treat drafted soldiers bad, they can't resign and find a better job. A modern defense training for the general population might (note I wrote "might") make sense. The usual way it is handled doesn't make sense.

TH IS must be the plan?

Who are they planning on invading?

I think that they are probably being recruited to fulfil more of a "civil-defence role"!

I think that conscription ended in the UK in the early '60's, there is a danger of ending up with so many men that don't want to be there.

About 10 years ago (pre-civil war) I worked with a Syrian guy who was living in Beirut/staying out of Syria for 5 years, to avoid the draft. On his return he was due to pay a USD10,000 fine to clear himself. Then again, he was probably pulling USD50,000 a year working for an oil company in Saudi.

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by Andrew65

Basically they could put 600,000 troops out there in the next two years.

Elections in 2017 hmmm!

I assume the logic behind this move is three-fold:

1) If there is ever a red shirt uprising in the future, then the Government of the day can declare martial law and the army can call up 300,000 of Isaan's young men to stand against the red shirts with the penalty of four years in prison if they refuse.

2) More soldiers means more Generals. Appointing more Generals is a way of appeasing the different factions in the military.

3) More soldiers means more budget.

Draft BItter with froth on top

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by RubbaJohnny

Perhaps officers were complaining they weren't receiving enough benefit from the coup. Pay and equipment money for 300,000 ghost soldiers can fill a lot of pockets.

http://government.defenceindex.org/countries/thailand/

http://www.transparency.org/whoweare/work/call_for_experts_government_defence_anti_corruption_index_2015

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by heybruce

better draft beer than draft people

My Thai Son In law has just enlisted voluntary,Thai government does not give one baht for three months, So what does any young Thai man with a family Do for support, what happens to the wife back home who maybe has a child,

My Thai Son In law has just enlisted voluntary,Thai government does not give one baht for three months, So what does any young Thai man with a family Do for support, what happens to the wife back home who maybe has a child,

Ask for donations?

Submarines, new fighter jets, new BTR3U & Black Widow personnel carriers, guided missiles. Is Thailand planning to invade Burma? Or is it for civil defense?

Something is going on with these guys.

Basically they could put 600,000 troops out there in the next two years.

Elections in 2017 hmmm!

Astute observation. These conscripts will be drawn from the regions most opposed to the military rulers. Conscription puts them under the command of the army and prevents their engaging in political activity. It also removes young voters from active participation in the electoral process.

Unfortunately, this will hurt Thailand's economy. There is a labour shortage and one of the biggest gaps reflects the demographics of Thailand: There are not enough males aged 18-35. The military will suck them out of the labour force, forcing Thai companies to hire foreign labour or pay more to retain labour. Good way to alienate the family compact who control the economy.

What? There must be a shortage of personal servants for the top brass.

I was drafted in middle Europe.....

As drafted soldier you are a slave....

No, you're a soldier.

Maybe Thailand is preparing to go to war....maybe take over Southeast Asia. If so, I think they have a surprise coming.

What is this point that Prayut - O seems to be making, perhaps he requires more men to replace the ones that will refuse to fire at their Mothers , Fathers , Brothers, Sisters and other family members and defected to the other side , just like it happened all those years ago, It's called forward planning ...................

I shouldn't imagine any such conscripts would be any more enthusiastic or ( politically) motivated soldiers than the lot they have already!

Of course, they may be trying to increase the number of soldiers, so that it more realistically reflects the number of generals.

"Of course, they may be trying to increase the number of soldiers, so that it more realistically reflects the number of generals."

Thailand doesn't have a billion people, does it??

I imagine they will be mostly farm boys or young lads working at careers. The Hi-so's will no doubt get some personal exception so as to not disturb upper status.