Thai military proposal on paying to avoid conscription sparks debate

Lieutenant-General Taweepool Rimsakorn said that those wishing to skip conscription could pay a fee, and the funds would be used to support voluntary recruits. - Photo: AFP

BANGKOK: The Thai military’s recent suggestion that citizens could be allowed to pay in order to avoid conscription has stirred a public debate.

Lieutenant-General Taweepool Rimsakorn, head of the Territorial Defence Command, proposed on Wednesday (Jan 8) that those wishing to skip conscription could pay a fee, and the funds would be used to support voluntary recruits.