Thais seeking exemption from 2025's military draft turn heads as usual

It's that time of the year again: Thailand is carrying out its military conscription draft from Apr. 1 to 12, 2025, and some transgender women are getting most of the attention.

How it works

All eligible Thai males are required to show up at the conscription centre.

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Absenteeism on registration day can be punishable with a jail term of up to three years.

Some of those who appear for the draft have undergone gender reassignment surgery, but official documents still list them as male.

These transgender women will then need to attain an exemption letter at the conscription centre in order to skip military service.

Thai online users have since collated images of some individuals who sought exemptions at various conscription centres around the country this year.

As noted in this clip about the draft process, not all of the transgender women who show up are dressed to the nines.

It was reported that some would appear more casually in regular clothing, while those who are dolled up take it as an opportunity to showcase their transformation as conscription centres are packed with potential conscripts and their families.

Volunteer for shorter stint or get drafted for longer stint

Thai males are eligible for military service at the age of 21 and typically serve for up to two years.

Thailand recruits between 80,000 and 100,000 personnel per year.

Those who volunteer for military service serve either six months (for college graduates) or one year (for high school graduates).

After recruiting volunteers, the shortfall will be made up of males who show up at military conscription centres for a lottery-style draft.

This happens when the number of individuals registering for military service exceeds the available vacancies for that year's cohort.

Those eligible are selected by drawing lots.

Lottery system

Eligible recruits will pick a card from a box: Black for exemption and red for conscription.

Their fate depends on the colour of the card they draw.

Theatrics are on full display as those who pick either black or red typically wear their emotions on their sleeves.

They either collapse onto the ground in elation for being exempted, or in disappointment at having to give up a few years of their lives to serve the nation.

Top photos via News1