The military draft lottery in Thailand

[u/VPinchargeofradishes]

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[u/fishburgr]

This is why they are freaking out. Its openly known that the young recruits have a very bad time including rape.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/thailand-military-conscripts-face-rampant-harassment-beatings-sexual-abuse/

And of course, as with all things the wealthy can just buy their way out of the lottery.

[u/RhubarbPrestigious49 → u/fishburgr]

It's bad. I went to Thailand in 2008 to train the Thai Marines. They had us set up right next to their bootcamp so when we went to go get food or whatever on the other side we had to walk through and if any recruits walked by us they had to salute and give the greeting of the day. We didn't enforce it, but the Thai Marines did. One time a recruit walked by us and didnt say anything, we dont care so we keep walking. His drill instructor came out of nowhere with a, for lack of better terms, thick stick. He beat the ever living hell out of that kid in front of us. Close to death where we thought about stepping in but didnt to avoid a international conflict (but we report it to deaf ears).

It made me really wonder how we were considered the standard when I would see these Thai recruits get fucked up for looking at someone wrong. When we went out to training it all made sense, they were so scared to do anything wrong it paralyzed them. But what they had to go through to become a Thai Marine, is something I wouldn't have ever been able to do as a US Marine.

[u/SereneOrbit → u/RhubarbPrestigious49]

Doesn't sound like a good doctrine.

Terminally frightened marines are likely to flee or abandon their post at the first opportune time during a real fight.

[u/Slighted_Inevitable → u/SereneOrbit]

Or turn their weapon on their abuser the first chance they get.

[u/Repulsive_Tie_7941 → u/Slighted_Inevitable]

“Seven six two millimeter full metal jacket”

[u/moslof_flosom → u/Repulsive_Tie_7941]

"I AM. In a world. Of shit."

[u/Bart_Yellowbeard → u/moslof_flosom]

Private Joker! Why are you not stomping Private Pyle's guts out?!

[u/iJuddles → u/Bart_Yellowbeard]

“Because fuck that shit, Drill Sergeant! This is not my fight! You created this problem, YOU deal with it.”

This scene could’ve gone down so differently.

[u/Ryan_Petrovich8769 → u/moslof_flosom]

1. This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

2. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.

3. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will …

4. Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.

5. So be it, until victory is America’s and there is no enemy, but peace!!

[u/Capable_Iron_370 → u/SereneOrbit]

I wonder if being raised in an environment where everyone is whipping each other conditions a person to the point where the thought of not whipping each other may seem as alien to them as this seems to us...

Humans are weird

[u/templar54 → u/Capable_Iron_370]

It's also the mindset of it was done to me, so now it's my turn to do the same. They cannot express their anger at those who did it to them, so they do it to those below. These habits are really hard to weed out without enforcing it very strictly.

[u/M0un05ki10 → u/fishburgr]

What a fucking shit world we live in.

[u/blahblah19999 → u/fishburgr]

Reading things like that make me wonder about the pederasty relationships in ancient Greece, etc... that were supposedly just normal. What if those 12 yr olds had had social media, what would we read?

[u/MaybeLikeWater → u/blahblah19999]

This is a current topic in Classic studies and some are re-examining the mainly involuntary Mentor/Mentee homosexual relationships in Ancient Greece specifically because of the common age disparity in the relationship.

[u/frankduxvandamme → u/MaybeLikeWater]

It's a bizarre and uncomfortable topic for sure, but it is interesting that even some ancient Greek sources had "standards" regarding this behavior so that it wouldn't be taken too far (again, by their "standards"). Some writers mocked men who pursued boys excessively, some warned against exploitative behavior, and some stressed that a boy's honor and reputation could be damaged by certain forms of conduct. No doubt, many boys were traumatized, regardless of the fact that this was an accepted practice, and it seems likely that at least some of the people of the time were aware that this may not be the healthiest thing to do to a boy.

[u/CurrentIcy4205 → u/fishburgr]

Awfulll!

[u/reroll-life → u/fishburgr]

It has improved since 2020 but it's still really bad.

[u/jaybird99990 → u/reroll-life]

So now they're not raped as often? Or just not as deeply penetrative?

[u/secret_alpaca → u/jaybird99990]

Now limited to just the tip.

[u/restckvrflw → u/secret_alpaca]

As a CSA victim I love these jokes

[u/we_hella_believe → u/fishburgr]

Warning for those that are about to click on the link, it’s very graphic and deeply disturbing.

[u/local-space-patrol → u/fishburgr]

The fact that the unnecessary homophobic comment got more attention than your factual one is a troubling sign of the times.

People would rather poke fun than learn anything.

[u/PrestigiousPepper829]

Mr drag queen knew what he was doing

[u/SquareTetrisBlock → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

I bet he bought that handbag especially for this.

[u/Rope_slingin_champ → u/SquareTetrisBlock]

Draft day handbag bitchessss!!

[u/Longshot_45 → u/Rope_slingin_champ]

Walk into the draft purse first.

[u/spylark → u/Longshot_45]

Bob would approve of this

[u/Development-Main → u/spylark]

https://giphy.com/gifs/kcrVM3zKdLy6Qe3gqP

[u/AndyLand1 → u/Rope_slingin_champ]

Srgt. Slay Queen reporting for duty

[u/CanibalCows → u/SquareTetrisBlock]

The Klinger maneuver.

[u/Cattle-egret → u/CanibalCows]

I said I was nuts. They said what's your religion, I said Aztec. They said stop joking, I said bring me a virgin, I'll cut her heart out. They looked into my ears, I said Ahh. They said stick out your tongue, I pulled down my pants. They called in the psychiatrist, I kissed him on the mouth. Know what the guy in charge said? Keep this up and we'll make you an officer!

[u/Unique-Coffee5087 → u/SquareTetrisBlock]

But where did he buy that ass?

[u/Low-Assumption7710 → u/Unique-Coffee5087]

Art of that caliber can never truly be bought - it can only be made.

[u/Oopsie-Daisyy- → u/SquareTetrisBlock]

Oh, he did for sure

[u/whitestguyuknow → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

I knew a ladyboy on discord that described this. They got tits implanted before the draft. (I think they honestly still wanted to do it anyways but this is part of their story.) And they said if you acted like a proper ladyboy and homosexual then they may not draft you because of their intense homophobia.

So he escaped it. But that was forever ago. So they likely have changed things since then and have adapted to that loophole possibly. But thats why you see these guys act ULTRA flamboyant at these. They're putting on a show to get out of it.

[u/Relevant_Bed_9743 → u/whitestguyuknow]

that's a win-win. you get to dodge a draft and gain tits!!

[u/ItsSignalsJerry_ → u/Relevant_Bed_9743]

Breast of both worlds.

[u/00eg0 → u/Relevant_Bed_9743]

He's wrong it's about being trans not being gay. Trans people can't get drafted but gay people can be.

[u/ennaamber → u/whitestguyuknow]

Well same sex marriage is now legal in Thailand, although that doesn’t mean there’s not still homophobia

[u/rydan → u/whitestguyuknow]

Pretty sure there was a character in MASH like this but it didn't work.

[u/wbgraphic → u/rydan]

Klinger was pretending to be insane, not gay.

There was even an episode where he was told they were going to classify him Section 8, but his record would state that he was homosexual. He was offended and refused.

[u/Unique-Coffee5087 → u/wbgraphic]

I remember that! Yeah, he would be discharged as a homosexual and transvestite. That wouldn't fly back in the 'hood in Toledo.

[u/SD_2_LA_Jay → u/whitestguyuknow]

Putting on a show??! That mofawka was flaming as fk. There’s pretending to be gay and then there’s this guy who obviously is excited to get chosen.

[u/Mental-Dot-6574 → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

Is that Corporal Klinger?

[u/Jofur-Crowcaller → u/Mental-Dot-6574]

Scrolled to far for this, then started to fear I was getting to old for expecting it higher.

[u/Caseioo → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

He looked happy man! He knew where all the boys were.

[u/termacct → u/Caseioo]

Lol the communal shower...

[u/No-Tap6886 → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

https://giphy.com/gifs/cw66AF5YXirhm

[u/smellslike2016 → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

Ironic that you would call him that when in the video he is the only one not being dragged.

[u/RespectTheAmish → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

Just digging that he gets to hang out with all the cute boys in uniform

[u/triphawk07 → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

My queen was ready to serve.

[u/BeamTeam23 → u/triphawk07]

Slayyy

[u/ViceChamber → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

I don't know how it is there, but in many cultures it takes a lot of bravery to be an out gay man or femboy. I don't see why feminine is immediately associated with not being brave, this should not be surprising.

[u/TasteTheBiscuit1810 → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

Reminds me of MASH

[u/sparkltaynt → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

lol i was just thinking that same thing

[u/TraditionalSir2391 → u/PrestigiousPepper829]

He thought he could zest his way out

[u/AlienInOrigin]

I can't imagine that unwilling soldiers would make very effective soldiers.

[u/ManufacturerNo2144 → u/AlienInOrigin]

They make pretty good shields.

[u/Josey_whalez → u/ManufacturerNo2144]

Commence operation human shield

[u/darkgrey3k → u/Josey_whalez]

I don’t listen to hip hop

[u/EM05L1C3 → u/darkgrey3k]

https://giphy.com/gifs/WREtqzJ29AEO8P2vYd

[u/zachrywd → u/EM05L1C3]

Remember operation human shield protect our tanks and planes too!

[u/Cutthechitchata-hole → u/zachrywd]

Or operation get behind blackie? Edit- had to fix tgis one. Its "get behiind the darkies" according to others. Its been since tge theater since i watched it.

[u/doll-haus → u/Cutthechitchata-hole]

Operation get behind the darkies, iirc.

[u/DontAlwaysButWhenIDo → u/darkgrey3k]

I drop this line all the fucking time and no one ever gets it. Thank you Reddit. You are my people.

[u/woakula → u/darkgrey3k]

I think the next line was "have you heard of the emancipation proclamation" and then it was "I don't listen to hip hop".

[u/pppjurac → u/ManufacturerNo2144]

They are not called "cannon fodder" anymore. Modern designation is "drone fodder".

[u/BlacksmithFit8667 → u/ManufacturerNo2144]

https://giphy.com/gifs/12dA9Gei6U4in6

[u/dmelt01 → u/BlacksmithFit8667]

I bravely sent wave after wave of my own men until the kill bots reached their limit and shut down

[u/I-tell-horrible-joke → u/dmelt01]

Some of you may die, but thats a sacrifice im willing to make.

[u/nanomolar → u/BlacksmithFit8667]

Men, you are lucky men. Some of you will be injured for your planet. Some of you will die for your planet. A few of you will be forced through a fine metal mesh for your planet. Those will be the luckiest of all.

[u/CDBoomGun → u/ManufacturerNo2144]

The smart kids realize that playing the game the correct way.... Means survival. They should go into the dungeon to relate.

[u/Zelidus → u/CDBoomGun]

Yeah, even if you dont like it, you quickly learn the best way to get through it the easiest is to just do it right.

[u/GtMustang247 → u/ManufacturerNo2144]

Meat shields

[u/newbrevity → u/ManufacturerNo2144]

There really is a place for everyone

[u/Shankar_0 → u/AlienInOrigin]

Not every job in an army is belly crawling through the mud with a knife between your teeth.

They need supply, medical, admin, maintenance, etc. It's a total effort, and that's where you put these guys.

Give him the option to serve by processing leave paperwork or driving a forklift. I definitely wouldn't fly with someone who was there against their will.

[u/Impossible-Web545 → u/Shankar_0]

They can actually avoid the lottery draft by volunteering instead. Volunteers serve less time and get their choice of assignment (keep in mind similar to how are military does "your choice" in that you can pick from a list that you qualify for AND that they have a need for). Draftee's get the left overs and have everything assigned based on military need. If they need infantry to fight insurgents 2 years from now... you better be ready 2 years from now. If they need you today, you are going to basic training today.

[u/Best-Mirror-8052 → u/[deleted]]

"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die." - Jean-Paul Satre

[u/Molotov-Micdrop_Pact → u/Shankar_0]

Yep, there a term is called "Tooth to tail" it refers to the amount of support personnel behind every front line grunt. The us Army has a ratio of 10:1 (10 support to one grunt) I'd guess the Thai army has closer to 5:1 so he's still probably going to be in some support capacity. I'd imagine they would know their most effective grunts would be the most enthusiastic and would put them on the front lines first.

[u/Shankar_0 → u/Molotov-Micdrop_Pact]

I was enlisted aircrew in the USAF, and was told we made up 3% of the total fighting force.

3% of all enlisted people in the strongest AF in history actually fly missions. Almost very other job was in a support capacity. Our branch is actually inverted in that it's mostly officers pulling the triggers.

[u/skiingredneck → u/Shankar_0]

I seem to recall in Vietnam the Air Force didn’t have to take draftees because they filled with volunteers.

The marines on the other hand had to raid army induction centers just to get their conscription quota filled.

People aren’t completely stupid.

[u/boobers3 → u/skiingredneck]

Yeah, makes sense. Even in today's age the AF recruiters will ghost you if you aren't the ideal recruit and/or female.

[u/McCheesey1 → u/Shankar_0]

Makes sense though when you consider a fighter jet can cost as much as 20 tanks. And a stealth bomber as much as hundreds of tanks.

You're going to want officers in charge of those investments.

[u/euclide2975 → u/McCheesey1]

Technically, you want qualified people for these jobs, and that kind of people would want some privileges and a better pay than you regular infantryman.

For the same reason, military MD are always officers too. Same for engineers or lawyers.

[u/shadowtheimpure → u/euclide2975]

During Korea and Vietnam, if a doctor was drafted they were brought in as an officer rather than an enlisted rank. Most drafted doctors were captain (O-3) in the Army, Marines, and Air Force or a lieutenant (O-3) if they were Navy.

[u/bot2317 → u/Shankar_0]

The Air Force is different because you don’t need a lot of pilots but a ton of support crew per plane. In comparison the Army and even the Navy need way, way more frontline personnel to form the actual fighting units

[u/say_the_words → u/Shankar_0]

Good friend of mine was a postman in the Air Force. Served in Japan, Korea, Kosova (UN peacekeeper) and Honduras, then got out, went to college then worked for the USPS. Got out in July 2001. He vanished for about three months on Sept 12 cause he was sure he was about to be reactivated. They never even reached out to him to come back, even in reserves. He was just using his GI Bill to go to school and chill during all that. I told him he "must have been the shittiest postman ever lived if they didn't put you back in uniform".

[u/mememan287 → u/Shankar_0]

also security forces, being the biggest career field

[u/tydark2 → u/[deleted]]

Its this, 100%. Ritual Hazing and many deaths every year in bootcamp. They dont do basic training the way the USA does, your going to be beaten and raped multiple times and a small percentage will die. In addition the pay is worse and conscripts have to pay for there own food and supplies.

[u/Snoo_36434 → u/tydark2]

Horrible. And not funny at all.

[u/TheDutchAce → u/[deleted]]

They are currently fighting a border war with Cambodia...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Cambodian%E2%80%93Thai_border_crisis?wprov=sfla1

[u/WisePotatoChip → u/Molotov-Micdrop_Pact]

By that measurement Hegseth needs to be up front.

[u/ma1butters → u/Shankar_0]

Fair enough. If my leave paperwork is going to be fucked up either way, at least there's an excuse this way.

[u/JeremyAndrewErwin → u/Shankar_0]

yeah, you could end up maintaining one of the many many army owned golf courses.

you could end up as a menial servent to some army officer

you could end playing a decisive role in crushing political dissent

you could end up providing sexual favors to commanders.

There are many career paths in the Thai Army. Be all you can be.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/10/world/asia/thailand-conscription-lottery.html

[u/BejahungEnjoyer → u/JeremyAndrewErwin]

I think we know what role the guy with the purse will be assigned.

[u/Lithl → u/BejahungEnjoyer]

I don't know exactly when this video is from (it's pretty old, but not sure how old). Up until 2005, gays weren't allowed in the Thai military, so it's not unreasonable to guess he's being flamboyant in order to try and get himself disqualified, regardless of his actual sexual orientation.

[u/Freestila → u/Shankar_0]

As someone who refused the military service in Germany (which you are allowed from our basic laws) I would rather spend that time in any prison then any form of military. They would not even get me to dust off or mow their lawn...

[u/SavageSwordShamazon → u/Shankar_0]

Generally the work is really shitty, low paid and your bosses treat you like shit, they decide where you go and what you do, and your living conditions are terrible. And you can't quit.

Its being a slave. Conscripts are slaves.

[u/BigConstruction4247 → u/AlienInOrigin]

They do not

[u/Zestyclose-Ad-7576 → u/BigConstruction4247]

I read that in Ron Howard’s voice.

[u/CellaCube → u/Zestyclose-Ad-7576]

I read it in Rogal Dorn's

[u/OMP159 → u/BigConstruction4247]

They do once.

[u/Kaltovar → u/AlienInOrigin]

Honestly you'd be surprised. Most soldiers in history were conscripts.

Humans will just kind of accept that this is their life now, for whatever reason.

[u/Craving_Suckcess → u/Kaltovar]

People have gotten very good at training the unwillingness out of people.

where they haven't gotten the opportunity to do this, the soldiers have not performed well.

[u/Deep90 → u/Kaltovar]

Because soldiers are shipped to a battlefield where the choices are fight and potentially go home, or roll the dice on surrendering where you might not be welcome back, might be killed by fellow soldiers who want to go home, or might be killed by the enemy who decided they aren't taking prisoners.

People tend to go along with things as it's their best option, and keeping the others around you doing the same means you might actually survive it.

When things fall apart is when leadership is clearly sending you to your death, in which is how you get things like "fragging" where US soldiers would kill their superiors, often with grenades.

[u/DisasterNo1740 → u/Kaltovar]

It’s just human nature to adapt to your situation. Imprisoned for life is also a situation a human eventually adapts to.

[u/throwaway112658 → u/Kaltovar]

Well the if you try to go AWOL with conscription you'll probably face pretty severe punishment, and so if you have to go fight anyways might as well try to avoid dying immediately

[u/The_GOAT_of_all → u/[deleted]]

Add in one pissed off Grandpa who was kept out of the war when he really wanted to serve, because he was a supervisor at an aircraft factory at the time and the girls in the front office liked him and kept labeling him as needed for the war effort. When he found out he was sooo pissed. My Grandma knew, but she didn't tell him. He finally got wind of what was up and volunteered. The war ended the next week.

[u/Ok_Consideration476 → u/[deleted]]

Sounds like my great grandfather. He was dirt poor farm kid from a large family in rural Kansas who volunteered for the Army long before he would have gotten drafted (I forget what year he enlisted but it was several years before Pearl Harbor but I know he got out in 1946). Dude had an interesting life. He was a reserve deputy, volunteer firefighter, lumberjack farmhand, plumber, boxer, professional gambler, professional wrestler and later did spook stuff in the Korean War and Vietnam.

[u/Tyrus1235 → u/The_GOAT_of_all]

My grandpa was put on a truck headed for an airfield where they’d send the boys out to war. He said some guys would straight up jump from the back of the truck and start running.

Anyways, before he got to the plane, the news came down that the war was over.

[u/KrustyKrabFormula_ → u/[deleted]]

nope, it was 60% draftees, 40% volunteers post pearl harbor. also, ww2 had the highest ever recorded volunteers for any usa conflict. more people volunteered for ww2 than made up the entire fighting force of usa in ww1, around 6.5 million. this is raw numbers though, the civil war had way more as a percentage of the total fighting force, like 90% or so.

[u/No-Competition4294 → u/[deleted]]

Thailand has had border conflicts with Cambodia and Myanmar. And an active insurgency.

Conclusion. China is a threat.

[u/thinkB4WeSpeak → u/AlienInOrigin]

South Korea has mandatory military service for everyone but I never see a lot of people resisting it

[u/formerflautist57 → u/thinkB4WeSpeak]

SK has mandatory service for men, and it's not done as a lottery. They know they have to serve.

[u/Ragnarsworld → u/formerflautist57]

And not all of the mandatory service is military. When I was stationed at Osan, we'd see a lot of the kids wearing police uniforms and staring down other kids who were protesting. Was very weird.

[u/CodeParalysis → u/formerflautist57]

"Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear."

[u/Lillemor_hei → u/thinkB4WeSpeak]

Norway also has mandatory military service for men and women when you’re 19.

[u/SalsaRice → u/Lillemor_hei]

Props to them for atleast being fair about it.

[u/jinboleow → u/thinkB4WeSpeak]

We have it here in Singapore, every male when reaches 18, or 21 if they are still studying; and hardly anyone resisting it. Matter of fact, many opt for tougher vocation. On top of that, after completing 2 years of service we still go back for annual in-camp training.

[u/Lazysenpai → u/AlienInOrigin]

Its just forced boot camp.

[u/triphawk07]

Is the military that bad in Thailand? From the video, it almost look like a death sentence.

[u/namregiaht → u/triphawk07]

Its reputation is not great here.

[u/PoppinLockinRockin → u/namregiaht]

Reputation is not that great there either.

Rape, abuse, mistreatment and awful postings. Spending years of your life like this... Fuck that.

Forced military service is bad under any circumstance but this is another level.

[u/kpthekia → u/triphawk07]

From my understanding as a SEA neighbor their trainings are brutal and they do get deployed to messy areas of the borders and South Thailand. So not exactly a walk in the park I would think

[u/BornChef3439 → u/kpthekia]

Not these guys. In Thailand conscripts do not serve as front line infantry. They are usually support. In fact I have heard that officers literally use them as servants. You will basically spend your year cleaning the Captains garden or helping set up chairs for his wife's birthday party

[u/HeroesOfDundee → u/BornChef3439]

And being sexually abused... There was a massive investigation into it.

[u/reroll-life → u/HeroesOfDundee]

link for the lazy: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/thailand-military-conscripts-face-rampant-harassment-beatings-sexual-abuse/

[u/Ash_Jameson → u/triphawk07]

Mandatory military=slavery, no shit they don’t want to attend

[u/Lejonhufvud → u/Ash_Jameson]

I love how "forced labor" is banned in EU, yet that exact paragraph says that mandatory military service is not considered forced labor.

Cheers to whomever came up with that concept.

[u/last-of-the-mohicans]

May the odds be ever in your favor

[u/namregiaht → u/[deleted]]

Depends on the province and the year. Some provinces have a lot of volunteers so the chances of getting red is lower. This year there were a lot of volunteers, a lot of provinces didn’t even need to hold the lottery, and in my province the chances were around 5-10% (depending on which sub district you are)

Edit: thank you for the awards!

[u/BlacqanSilverSun → u/namregiaht]

Thank you for the insightful and complete answer! Uppy arrow from me to you.

[u/Adventurous_Touch342 → u/[deleted]]

That explains why people clap seeing red card - every red card for others decreases the chance of them pulling it.

[u/Ghostbrain77 → u/Adventurous_Touch342]

Or they’re just really hype about serving their country, and think everyone should be applauded for serving! Hoorah! (This comment brought to you by Propoganbot)

[u/Only-Temperature → u/[deleted]]

I like to pull late every time

[u/classless_classic → u/Only-Temperature]

https://giphy.com/gifs/FsUo1Qn895NS0

[u/Taqqer00 → u/[deleted]]

But that’s even

[u/AEthersense → u/Taqqer00]

Huh that's odd

[u/SuspendedSentence1 → u/[deleted]]

I mean, if I pay a dollar to buy a lottery ticket, I’ll either win the jackpot or not, but that doesn’t mean my chances are 50/50.

[u/HoseNeighbor]

The guys dragging them around and holding them up find it pretty damn funny.

[u/Stark-T-Ripper → u/HoseNeighbor]

They probably all started out like that too.

[u/AP_Cicada → u/Stark-T-Ripper]

It's probably expected at this point. The thing you're supposed to do. They probably don't care as long as the guys actually show up.

[u/Roofofcar → u/AP_Cicada]

Reminds me of how the incoming Speaker of the UK House of Commons is bodily dragged to the chair, seemingly against their will.

[u/TwoFingersWhiskey → u/Roofofcar]

"Gentle persuasion" lmao!

In Canada we also do this! The people doing the dragging are the leader of the country, and the leader of the current opposition, who present as a unified front to force the guy to preside over both. It's less of a drag now, and more of a forcible walk, but everyone involved is cracking up the entire time. It's quite funny to watch.

[u/shapeshfters → u/TwoFingersWhiskey]

We can’t do that in America. Our representatives are so old that they might break their hip.

[u/earthlings_all → u/Stark-T-Ripper]

Unless they too chose the sashay instead-

[u/BillMillerBBQ]

The second guy wasn’t in drag; he just had a purse and was F A B U L O U S !

[u/missedopportunites → u/BillMillerBBQ]

https://giphy.com/gifs/gHylZ4zIZfVky0cwbu

[u/Gullible_Ad_5550 → u/missedopportunites]

Bruh IP have Watched the gif 50 times. It's amusing 🤣. Where is this from?

[u/EntityPrime → u/Gullible_Ad_5550]

Disappointing answer but closest source I could find was "celebrate colors slow mo" on giphy.

The account that uploaded the gif states "OFFICIAL gifs from YouTube's UNDERCOVER COP!" however I scrubbed the channel and it doesn't have any similar videos/clips, the main actor on that channel also doesn't look like the guy in the gif.

Basically looks like a deadend and was probably just a one off.

[u/AlreadyFifty]

Reddit clips literally have the worst music I’ve ever heard.

[u/SweetLenore → u/AlreadyFifty]

This past year or so has been insane with how reddit has changed. The clips getting attention are just bizarre trash now with stupid/unrelated music over it.

[u/QuistyLO1328 → u/AlreadyFifty]

You scroll Reddit with the sound ON?

[u/Imtedsowner → u/AlreadyFifty]

I'm thinking youve never been to a youth cheerleading competition. The music is worse and at a jet engine decibel level.

[u/DaGucka]

In my country every male has to do service (although service for everyone is in discussion, especially with trans being a topic, currently trans people are exempt or get single rooms and baths)

The service is either 6 months of military or 9 months civillian service (mostly social work like in nursing homes helping out or training and becoming an ambulance medic)

The teens are never happy about it, but it isn't a theatrical show like that one.

[u/namregiaht → u/DaGucka]

Yea dawg no offense but id gladly do both the military and social service in Austria than to be in the Thai military. If the Austrian military would also be domestically infamous for human rights abuses, sexual assaults, and beatings leading to death all in the blistering tropical heat, I’m sure the teens would also be putting on a show like this.

Also, before Thais get to draw a card, they typically have to wait at least 6-10 hours (in some cases even more) for registration and card counting to be complete all while in the April heat. Gives you a lot of time for reflecting and stress building. Lastly, you likely only see the clips of people putting on a show because tho who don’t aren’t fun to watch. Survivor bias is a bitch hahaha

[u/1191100 → u/namregiaht]

*The Austrian military in the 21st century

[u/PsychologicalOne5416 → u/DaGucka]

I really like the option of either military or civilian service as a norm

[u/West-Maintenance-750 → u/PsychologicalOne5416]

Honestly a couple months in civilian service as a norm would be beneficial. Imagine if a majority of the population of the USA received several months and experience in emergency services training, emt, firefighting, etc. as young adults.

Might be something to be said for ingraining a sense of community in youth too.

[u/Astrid_Onyx]

Forcing people to join a draft or military in general is barbaric. Gross. I feel bad for them.

[u/WXHIII]

Love watching the soldiers smile like "yeah... i remember my year..."

[u/Acrobatic-Trip-4475]

Scrolling down past like 100 comments, and no really explains what's going on. People are just taking at face value. I miss the days when someone knowledgeable on the subject would chime in and educate the rest of us ☹️

[u/namregiaht → u/Acrobatic-Trip-4475]

This is the yearly conscription day event in April in Thailand. All males above the age of 21 who haven’t completed the required ROTC courses in Highschool have to show up (if they got the conscription letter and are not actively studying). You then have to pick a card from the box — black card you’re free, red card you get conscripted for 1-2 years depending on education level.

[u/VeryLynnLv → u/namregiaht]

Are they going limp to make it difficult or are they drugged? Or something else?

[u/namregiaht → u/VeryLynnLv]

Only the few who can’t handle the stress or decide to put on a show get featured in these clips. The ones who faint quite literally fainted from the stress and fear. Imagine you have to draw a card that determines whether or whether not you go to prison for the next year or two. Worst case you get sent to Alcatraz (eg the Cambodia border or southern Thailand fighting insurgency).

[u/DrBarryO]

The smiling makes me think this is somehow a cultural tradition to illustrate how they don’t have an option, or maybe to pay homage to a famous draftee from a earlier time?

[u/world_2_ → u/DrBarryO]

No, most of them have just had their lives ruined about the next two years. You do NOT want to be a draftee grunt in Thailand. You're literally a slave. These events often have nurses on the side to tend to people who faint in despair or shock.

[u/R_122 → u/DrBarryO]

Not at all? Why do people just talking out of their ass and others just go along with it

We are just nervous, no one wants to get FORCE to join the military, this is not a tradition or cultural, the draft is an old law since the cold war, now a day it's just an excuse to get more funding

[u/Luzifer_Shadres → u/DrBarryO]

Yeah, this whole thing is for show. Its tradition for someone to play the screaming dude.

Welp, but as always, most people in the comments cant read the room.

[u/Ok_Career_3681 → u/Luzifer_Shadres]

So the kids are okay with the draft? Or the draft is just few weeks in a camp running around nothing serious?

[u/BirdyNumber_1 → u/Ok_Career_3681]

No way getting drafted is 1 or 2 years (depending on your education level) of your life wasted. Most of the people who don't mind being drafted usually just choose to outright apply for conscription before the lottery because that way your service duration is decreased (1/2 or 1 year depending on your education level) and you can choose a branch you want to join.

[u/red286 → u/DrBarryO]

It's basically a gamble.

You can either volunteer to serve for 6 months, or you can enter the lottery and it's 50/50 either you are exempt or you serve 2 years.

[u/Live-Juggernaut-221]

Conscription is slavery

[u/HarperCt]

These poor men look so tortured!

[u/Disastrous_Shirt3714]

Do they act extra emotional because they know it's on video? Seems like it's more for show.

[u/bulking_on_broccoli → u/Disastrous_Shirt3714]

Yeah I read about this last go-around. It’s a tradition of sorts. You can see the staff smiling in some of the videos.

[u/thinkB4WeSpeak → u/bulking_on_broccoli]

I mean looking into it there's videos of people fighting the police and such. They did just have a war with Cambodia

[u/trowzerss → u/thinkB4WeSpeak]

Thailand is also known for it's regular coups every few decades, which aren't always bloodless, so yeah, military draft can be a lot more spicy than many countries if you pull the wrong year. The one time I visited Thailand as a kid there was a lot of strange massing of crowds going on and random roadblocks in Bangkok, and little did we know at the time it was the early stages of another military coup. We probably should have known when we spotted one of our country's foreign correspondents doing a recording in the streets.

[u/BigRon691 → u/bulking_on_broccoli]

I mean, that's just horseshit. Sounds like some Thai commanders cheap excuse, "Oh they actually love being drafted as bullet sponges! It's all an act."

Tell me, you just turned 21, the world opens up and then you find out you've got a 13% chance to be sent to some hellhole and possibly die for 2 years, are you going to joke cry about it?

The staff are smiling because they're watching a grown man cry and they probably went through it themselves. If it wasn't a joke cry you think they wouldn't also laugh?

[u/fffarshy → u/BigRon691]

seriously. i was trying to find something that would make this sound a bit better, but when i looked into it, most thai conscripts end up being infantrymen. and—i’m really uneducated about the nature or scale of these, but—i’ve also heard that there’s active conflicts with cambodia and insurgent forces going on over there. this does not seem like a lighthearted event at all.

[u/TheFixerOfComments]

Mf said idc ill slay some shit

[u/Mylane]

That’s fucking depressing.

[u/theonePappabox]

This was posted couple months ago. Still sad though.

[u/ldhdje]

Fuck thailand. Fuck any hellhole with forced military service