Institutional characteristics of military service system in Thailand

One of the characteristics of Thailand's military service system is that both active service and reserve service are equally important. Reserve is not an independent part of the armed forces, but is attached to active service. In 1950s, Thailand set up the Department of Homeland Security in the War Department, which was responsible for reserve work. 1982 "reserve coordination center" was established in the Ministry of National Defense, which further strengthened the leadership of reserve work. The Thai Constitution stipulates: "Everyone has the obligation to perform military service according to law." According to this regulation, all citizens who have reached the age of military service must go to military service registration. 18 ~ 30-year-old men must serve in active service according to law. Students who continue their studies can be postponed only under the following circumstances: first, college students who are studying for a bachelor's degree and are under the age of 26; Second, students under the age of 22 who have not completed their vocational school studies or citizens with equivalent academic qualifications certified by the Ministry of Education; Third, students under the age of 22 who have not completed their preparatory school studies. When the number of working-age people exceeds the number needed by the army, the following two kinds of people can also be postponed: one is a citizen whose parents are unable to work and need to support, and the other is a citizen whose wife dies or is disabled due to illness and needs to support children.

As Thailand is a Buddhist kingdom, senior monks and priests can avoid conscription every year. At the same time, residents in special areas who are physically unfit for military service and do not have the qualifications to serve as soldiers are also exempted. In active service troops in Thailand, the term of service of soldiers is generally two years. Citizens who have special qualifications and meet the statutory conditions (including those who apply for active service on their own) may serve in active service for less than two years. Citizens eligible for enlistment can choose their own services and troops, but they must apply in advance.

Thai soldiers usually serve in the reserve after retiring from active service. Reserves are divided into three categories: citizens who have retired from active service after the expiration of their active service, and citizens who have received military training and passed the examination are included in the first category of reserves, with a service period of 7 years; Citizens serving in the first-class reserve shall be transferred to the second-class reserve at the age of 30, with a service life of 10 year; Citizens serving in the secondary reserve shall be transferred to the tertiary reserve at the age of 40, with a service period of 6 years. The whole reserve period is 23 years. In order to ensure that citizens can perform military service according to law, Thailand has stipulated penalties for evading military service: citizens and reservists who have reached the age of military service who violate the law or fail to go to the local county government for military service registration or report for duty according to the law shall be treated as evading military service and be fined or sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment, or both.