Army: Fake transgenders cannot dodge military conscription

Young men wait for conscription at Mathayom Prachaniwet School in Chatuchak district of Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

The army has procedures that carefully screen young men during the conscription process and those who pretend to be transgender cannot dodge the draft, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Col Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokesperson, said there were several criteria to define transgenders, whom the army classifies as Category 2 men who could not be drafted.

Under the criteria, transgender men are transsexual people, change their bodies to show a female form but are not transsexual, or are certified by a hospital or government medical institute to be transgender.

The army also had medical committees to carefully check young men to find out if they were really transgender and also asked neighbours about their behaviour, Col Sirichan said.

"Conscription committees have thorough checking procedures in compliance with the rules. It is unlikely any man could change their appearance to look like a woman and dodge conscription," she said.