How is the conscription in the army of Thailand

On April 1, both in the Russian Federation and in Thailand, spring conscription began. But unlike the Russian one, the Thai conscription takes place only once a year and lasts not three months, but only 11 days. On these days, all men who have reached the age of 21 must appear at the recruiting centers for a mark. Everyone flocks here - Buddhist monks, transvestites, and ordinary Thai guys. The latter will be able to try their luck and get into the army. The fact is that serving in the Kingdom is considered a duty of honor and the draft quota is usually about 20% of potential recruits, so the authorities are holding a lottery.

(Total 12 photos)

1. 24-year-old transgender Nopparat (right) and a Buddhist monk (left) wait in line to speak with officers during a call at a Bangkok school on April 3, 2015. In the Thai army, they serve both under contract and on conscription (there are more contract servicemen, as in the Russian Federation - 65%). Volunteers serve for half a year, but the rest have to rely on a lottery, which runs for 10 days at recruitment centers throughout Thailand. Conscripts who are considered physically incapable, mentally retarded, as well as those who have significantly changed their appearance, such as transgender people, are exempted from service. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

2. Having large potential manpower reserves, the Thai army allows itself the luxury of choosing the best of the best in terms of physiological parameters. During a medical examination of potential recruits, not only mental and somatic health is taken into account, but also such anatomical data as weight, height and chest girth. In order to serve in the army, a young man must have a height of at least 160 cm and a weight of at least 50 kg, and a chest circumference of at least 76 cm. If a Thai does not fit these parameters, then he is not drafted into the army (and such exist among some tribes and nationalities). Also, do not call on AIDS patients and those suffering from chronic diseases. In the photo: conscripts are waiting for weighing. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

3. Young people and Buddhist monks are waiting for the start of the annual lottery in a school in Bangkok. All those who passed the medical examination draw lots - a red or black card. Any Thai boy sleeps and sees himself serving in the army. This desire has solid material support. Immediately after the call, the salary of a Thai soldier is about 7,000 baht, and during the service it also rises. And this is a fairly decent amount of money, considering that they live in the army with everything ready. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

4. A young man rejoices that he was lucky enough to pull out a red card during the lottery. Despite the fact that conscripts can be sent to the extreme south of the country, where Islamic separatists have been regularly organizing terrorist attacks for many years, a lot of volunteers go to the army, about 10% of the total number of conscripts. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

5. Volunteers can choose from three branches of the armed forces: Royal Army, Navy and Air Force. Service also depends on education. For example, a graduate with a high school diploma or equivalent, as well as those who have received a military education, must serve two years if they draw a red card; however, if they go as volunteers, their service life will be halved, i.e. they will have to serve only a year. Similarly, conscripts with an Associate's degree or higher are only required to serve for a year, but if they volunteer, the term will be halved to 6 months. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

6. The atmosphere of the lottery is very reminiscent of gambling, friends and relatives come to cheer for young people. As a result of the lottery, only 20% of candidates are called up to serve in the Thai armed forces, the rest can go home. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

7. Officers are preparing red and black cards for the annual draft lottery. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

8. 21-year-old Sitiphan with his son. The action of the military lottery is so exciting that friends and relatives of Thai recruits come to watch it. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

9. The abundance of potential recruits allows Thais to plan the date of their call. Once in a lifetime, they have the right to come to the recruiting office and announce the reason why they cannot serve in the army in a given year. You don't need to prove anything. The name of the conscript is simply transferred to the next year. Thai students during the entire period of study are not even called to the medical commission. They also respect those who are in the care of elderly parents if there is no one else to look after them. In the photo: young conscripts wait in line at the admissions office in Bangkok. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

10. According to the 1954 Conscription Law, all Katoys (or, in other words, transsexuals) were recognized as mentally abnormal on a medical examination and released from the army, regardless of whether an operation was performed on the genitals. Now, this diagnosis will not be attributed to ladyboys, so as not to humiliate their feelings, and even under some circumstances they will be able to call them up for service. In the photo: transgender people (behind) sit in line with the rest of the conscripts. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

11. In the photo: transgender people put on makeup while standing in line at the draft board to report their status as "not a draftee." (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

12. All conscripts are divided into three types: real men who look accordingly; transgender women who have made their breasts; transsexuals who completely changed their sex. But even in the latter case, according to Thai laws, a katoy cannot change documents and still legally remains a man. Therefore, under normal conditions, only the first type will be called up, but with a shortage of conscripts, the second type will also be called up, despite the female breast. Pictured: An officer writes a number on the hand of Thanompong, a 21-year-old transgender man, during his enlistment in Bangkok. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)