Over 23,000 men have voluntarily enlisted in the armed forces this year so far, with eight venues nationwide recording a full quota of conscripted men, according to a new report by the Royal Thai Army (RTA).
Nine days into this year's annual conscription period, 445,706 eligible Thai males, or about 56% of all those who are eligible to sign up, have committed to some form of action, army spokeswoman Maj Gen Sirichan Ngathong said on Tuesday.
Among them, 156,544 applied for deferred service, 160,334 attended the card-drawing process, and 23,126 enlisted voluntarily.
The number who attended the card drawing was lower than in recent years, showing that the RTA's policy of encouraging people to enlist voluntarily is a success, Maj Gen Sirichan added.
Army chief Gen Narongpan Jittkaewtae said more males have enlisted voluntarily this year.
The number of enlistments is likely to keep growing and could surpass the 29,997 reported from last year, he added.
Meanwhile, the enlisted quota was reported as having been fully met at eight conscription venues: Yasothon's Sai Mun district, the first venue in the Northeast to reach its target; Sai Noi and Pak Kret districts in Nonthaburi; Surat Thani's Ban Ta Khun district; Khuan Don district in Satun; and Thepa and Hat Yai districts in Songkhla.
