AN ARMY GENERAL has come up with the idea of allowing young men to pay to a fund in exchange of skipping compulsory army conscription with the cash to be used to increase compensation for volunteers, TV Channel 7 said this morning (Jan. 9).
Lt. Gen. Thaweepol Rimsakorn, head of the Territorial Defence Command, said at Khao Chon Kai military cadet training camp in Kanchanaburi that it is his personal opinion those who do not want to be conscripted should pay to the fund to increase incentives for volunteers.
However he added as this idea had both advantages and disadvantages it needs to be studied further because some people might think it would lead to class division.
More thought had to be given to the annual army drafting process to find the most suitable alternative, he said.
Under the 1954 Military Service Act, every April men aged 21 or older draw cards in a lottery system to find out whether they will be conscripted: black means exemption from service, while red requires two years of duty.
Lt. Gen. Thaweepol also mentioned that it could not yet be concluded how many conscripts would be needed for 2025 as online application for military service is still open.
However as of Jan. 7 there were 1,400 more online applicants than last year but this is not the final total as there is a selection process to check their qualifications after which they report for assessment.
It is therefore not yet certain that 80,000 conscripts will be drafted this year, the same as last year.
CAPTION:
Lottery for army draft is held every April. Photos: Thai Rath
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