TST calls for end of military conscription

Conscription should be abolished in favour of voluntary enlistment and better military welfare, said the Thai Sang Thai Party (TST).

Sqn Ldr Sita Divari, the TST secretary-general, said modern armed forces must work to lift the quality of life of their personnel, particularly the rank and file, so they can serve the country to their full ability and with pride.

The TST supports the abolition of compulsory enlistment via the lot-drawing method.

Sqn Ldr Sita, a former air force fighter jet pilot, said voluntary enlistment should be widened to the fullest extent. Each year, he said, the running of the conscription programme and looking after conscripts costs about 16 billion baht or 12,000 baht per conscript per month on average.

While conscripts are essential for the military to function, there are too many of them, he said.

Those recruited annually via compulsory enlistment number around 50,000. A similar number comes through voluntary recruitment.

“Because of the excessive number of recruits, we have witnessed abuses of the system whereby some conscripts are sent to work as domestic helpers at senior officers’ homes, for example,” Sqn Ldr Sita said.

He said compulsory enlistment deprives people of their freedom for two years and the opportunity to earn an income, which in many cases is vital for sustaining a family.

The military should cut out conscription, which would also ease budget pressures, he said. The savings could then be used to improve welfare offered to recruits, which would make enlistment more appealing, he added.