Deputy spokeswoman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong said on Tuesday that the RTA is accepting more soldiers online, with the Defence Ministry aiming to recruit more voluntary soldiers for the Army instead of relying only on conscription from 2021.
The ministry is accepting online applications for three forces – the RTA, the Royal Thai Air Force and the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
The RTA will accept 28,642 online draftees for a period of five months – from August 29 to January 29. Thai males aged 18 to 20 who have never entered the draft or aged 22 to 29 after being exempted (received a “black card” during the draft) are eligible.
The Army aims to expand opportunities to people who live in rural areas, those in agriculture and industry (factory workers), and males under the Juvenile Observation and Protection Department.
The Army has lowered the criteria of minimum height, from 159 centimetres to 146, or just under 5 feet tall.
Eligible mails can register for military service starting in November, before the regular draft period in April. They can also choose to serve in any of 510 units across Thailand.
The Army is accepting applications via the website rcm66.rta.mi.th or at nearby units.
Aspiring soldiers can take a test at the Army Non-Commissioned Officer School after two years of service with an added 15 per cent score, Colonel Sirichan said. They will get the same benefits as enlisted soldiers, such as a starting salary of 10,000 baht per month, free medical treatment, education and career support and weekend leave. Extra pay will be included when serving in dangerous areas, she added.
Credit The Nation
