The Move Forward Party (MFP) says its policy of scrapping military conscription has met with wide approval from the general public, citing a survey.
Sirin Sanguansin, a constituency candidates for Bangkok, said the policy is part of the party’s political campaign to reform the military. It opposes the annual draft held every April.
Mr Sirin said a party survey of Thawi Watthana district in the capital found that the majority of parents of Thai men aged 21 to 29 agreed that two years of military service hinders their pursuit of crucial job and education opportunities, while also impeding their ability to take care of their families financially and emotionally.
Parents were also concerned about the young men’s safety during their service, especially amid reports of extreme hazing by senior soldiers, which in some cases has resulted in conscripts’ deaths, he said.
Many also expressed concern about abuses of power against conscripts by high-ranking officers, such as being used as servants in a commander’s house or carrying out their seniors’ personal business, due to rampant corruption in the military, said Mr Sirin.
He said 95% of those surveyed wanted to axe the mandatory draft. Move Forward wants to shrink the size of the military and promote the training of more professional soldiers, with the savings used for other publicly beneficial programmes.
The military currently has about 350,000 active-duty personnel, including 240,000 in the army.
Army chief Gen Narongpan Jittkaewtae said that as of Tuesday, about 4,600 men had applied to join the service this year. The last day for the draft is April 20.
Defence Ministry data shows the number of conscripts has shrunk in recent years, from 97,324 men in 2020 to 58,330 in 2022.
