21-4-2024 (BANGKOK) A military recruitment centre in Thailand found itself in the spotlight when two strikingly beautiful transgender women reported for conscription duty, turning heads and sparking a social media frenzy with their dazzling presence in the otherwise austere setting.
Parida Kerayuphan, 21, a student at Sripatum University in Bangkok with over 69,000 Instagram followers, and Kantong Passarapon, 21, a seasoned beauty queen dubbed the “Thai Bay Angel” for her numerous pageant wins, made an unforgettable entrance at the registration centre located in the Kaset Wisai district of central northeastern Thailand.
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Their arrival coincided with the country’s annual military draft, a process governed by the 1954 Military Service Act, which mandates that all able-bodied Thai men are eligible for compulsory military service at the age of 21. The draft, which took place from April 1 to 12 this year, selects conscripts through a lottery system, with those drawing red cards being enlisted for two years of active duty.
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While Parida and Kantong had undergone gender reassignment surgery, Thai law still required them to report to the conscription unit, albeit with the option to apply for exemption by providing relevant medical certificates. Their attendance, however, was an unexpected sight that captured the nation’s attention.
“It feels like a beauty pageant rather than a conscription lottery site,” one Instagram user remarked, while another quipped, “As a woman, I have a feeling of inferiority.”
The Thai army typically recruits between 80,000 and 100,000 soldiers annually, with 40,000 of the required 85,000 places being filled through the lottery this year, according to a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence.
While the majority of Thai men receive conscription notices at the age of 17 and are required to respond, there are legal exemptions available, such as completing a three-year reserve officer training programme in high school, or for disabled individuals and monks with higher Buddhist education.
Those who fail to show up for military service selection risk facing up to three years in prison, underscoring the significance of the draft process in the Southeast Asian nation.
