Thailand is the quick route escape for many in Myanmar consider fleeing after new army law

People wait in line to enter into the Thai Embassy for visa appointments in Yangon, Myanmar, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. Crowds of people have thronged to get passports and visas to neighboring Thailand in the two weeks since the government activated a law making at least 14 million young people subject to conscription. - AP

YANGON/BANGKOK (AP) : Thwel, a 25-year-old schoolteacher, saw very few options left to her after Myanmar’s military announced it is implementing conscription to fill its ranks.

"As a person living in this country, I only have two options: to go abroad illegally or die here,” Thwel told The Associated Press by phone while traveling to a border area to try crossing into Thailand with a small group of like-minded people.