What should my son do regarding joining the British Army and his obligations to the Thai military?

May 25, 2024
6 months ago
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
My son has lived in the uk 18 years he was born in Thailand but only lived there 3 months, he wants to join British army and they have asked for a letter of liability stating he has no commitment to thia army but when you get intouowih Thai embassy they say all thia men need to go in lucky dip yet the British army say he should be able to get a letter from embassy giving him liability of this army please advise thanks
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The son, born in Thailand and having lived in the UK for 18 years, wishes to join the British Army but faces complications regarding his Thai military obligations. He may be required to provide a letter confirming his lack of commitment to the Thai Army. However, commentators emphasize that if he holds Thai citizenship, he must comply with Thai military laws, which require him to register for the draft and potentially serve. The discussions highlight the challenges of dual nationality, varying interpretations of military obligations, and the need for legal advice or communication with embassies.
Diane **********
Best is to check with UK home affairs department, they know the status that applies to your son.
Rc *******
What's your son's citizenship?
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Rc ******
He has British and Thai
Bunny *****
Should have started off saying your son has Thai nationality. Because just being born in Thailand does not equate to joining the Thai army. Thanks for starting unnecessary conflicts in the comments.
Bob **********
Contact the embassy
Glenn *********
If he got a British passport surely he can join the British army...
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Glenn ********
yes but you still need a liability letter from thia military
Edgar ************
@Rodney *******
Thai* Thai*. There's no Thia army.
John **********
Why doesn’t he have a British citizenship, seems the logical approach to me!!
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
he’s been a British citizen all his life
John **********
@Rodney *******
must have dual nationality then!!
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Allan ********
Some interesting answers. I suggest you talk to a Thai lawyer. My daughter was recently applying to universities to study medicine. As a Thai citizen she checked out the military options. We have Thai friends who are doctors and went through the military medical programs. To be accepted she had to have all Thai parents and grandparents. No foreigners. Whether that applies to officers only or all ranks, I don’t know. But you should check with lawyers rather than social media.
Chris ********
@Allan *******
yes, there is a dumb rule where to be an officer in the this armed forces both parents have to be thai.
Michael ********
Ask at Thai citizenship group many people there with dual nationality
Tom ********
I would try and talk him out of joining the British army if you can because very soon they will be looking for 'Cannon fodder' to send to fight in Russia.
Rene ********
@Tom *******
i couldn't agree more , it's in insane idea. Thank God that the time mechanism is working against him, in later years he will come to recognize this. At this age he needs to be guided and told what is good for him because he obviously doesn't know
Christopher *************
@Tom *******
bs 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Nongnuch ********
Let's proofread and correct: . . . . My son has lived in the U.K. for 18 years. He was born in Thailand, but only lived there for 3 months. He wants to join the British Army and they have asked for a letter of liability stating he has no commitment to the Thai Army. But when you get into touch with the Thai embassy, they say all Thai men need to take part in the lottery draw, yet the British army says, he should be able to get a letter from the Thai Embassy London giving him liability of the Thai Army. army. Please advise. Thanks
Chris ********
@Nongnuch *******
I had no trouble understanding the original text. Do you perhaps have an issue that you feel the need to correct others!
Lyndon ************
@Nongnuch *******
Let's proofread and correct, your corrections.

---

Let's pull the worst English I have ever read through a proofreading:

My son has lived in the U.K. for 18 years. He was born in Thailand but only lived there for 3 months. He wants to join the British Army, and they have asked for a letter of liability stating he has no commitment to the Thai Army. However, when you get in touch with the Thai embassy, they say all Thai men need to take part in the lottery draw. Yet, the British Army says he should be able to get a letter from the Thai Embassy in London stating he has no liability to the Thai Army. Please advise. Thanks.

Here are the changes made:

1. Removed unnecessary punctuation (" . . . .").

2. Corrected "get into touch" to "get in touch."

3. Combined sentences to improve flow and clarity.

4. Added a comma for readability ("join the British Army, and they have...").

5. Replaced "army. army." with "Army."

6. Clarified the embassy's location ("Thai Embassy in London").

7. Improved overall grammar and punctuation for clarity and readability.
Joe **********
@Lyndon ***********
It has nothing to do with you how this person's English is written, if you can't answer the questions asked then say nothing.
Lyndon ************
@Joe *********
I was correcting Nongnuch's mistakes. No comment on the OP from me.
Joe **********
@Lyndon ***********
No one asked you to!
Lyndon ************
@Joe *********
live by you own example, no one asked you to comment on mine either...

Take note, I wasn't commenting on the OP's English. I was correcting the self proclaimed know it all, who did.
Joe **********
@Lyndon ***********
a8 must have missed that!
Nongnuch ********
@Joe *********
I already replied in full detail, so I think I got the right to criticize his command of English grammar
Adrian *******
@Nongnuch *******
'Let's pull the worst English I've ever read, through a proofreading' is not good English either.
Nongnuch ********
@Adrian ******
I beg yer padn Sir
Radost **************************
He has to be english too if he want to join english Army, as a member of the British army he can't join Thai army even if he would like. You can join only 1 army in your life
Damien ********
@Radost *************************
Not correct.

If your discharged from the army and then moved to another country and became a citizen or permanent resident you can join that countries military if they accepted you

Seen good interview with Brit paratrooper who became a member Special Forces in the USA

And any ex soldier can join the French Foreign Legion .

Don’t post if you don’t know !!!
Radost **************************
@Damien *******
french Legion is no French army is a Legion. Ok to make it clear Thailand does not accepts and foreign nationality in its army. British army accept only British citizen with residence in Britain or citizen of the republic of Ireland.
Damien ********
@Radost *************************
Wrong again !!

The word legion is from Ancient Rome

It mean large group of men

IN THE ARMY!!! 🙄 duh

Understand yet dumbo

You wrote you can only join 1 army

In your life

Wrong dumbo !

Look it up

Don’t reply I won’t read it

I’m bored with your ignorance!!
Andy *********
@Radost *************************
, that isn’t strictly true - you do not have to be English to join the British Armed Forces and you can move from one Armed Force to another.
John **********
@Radost *************************
complete tosh!! The British Army is full of Fijian’s, Ghanaians, South Africans etc and there are transfer arrangements with many countries- Canada, Australia to name a few!!
Radost **************************
@John *********
yes commonwealth but Thailand is no commonwealth I think
Ken ********
@Radost *************************
not true I served in the Australian army with people that had served in the British Army
Radost **************************
@Ken *******
it's the fucking commonwealth, same king. But no French will serve in Germany or no Chinese in Thailand or no Mexican in the USA
Allan ********
Rich *****
@Radost *************************
, there isn’t an English Army, there is the British Army and you don’t have be British to serve in it, take the Gurkhas for example. Neither are you restricted to serving in only one countries forces. Many people have served in the British Army and gone to Australia and served in their Forces and vice versa.
Radost **************************
@Rich ****
I think that makes it clear
Rich *****
@Radost *************************
, yes it does, it’s just a shame you didn’t check before posting.
Nongnuch ********
@Radost *************************
You missed something: he mentioned that the British Army will only accept him if he has a written exemption from the Thai Army . . . . . . Du hast etwas überlesen: er schreibt doch, die britische Army nimmt ihn erst auf, wenn er eine schriftliche Freistellung von der thailändischen Army hat
Bill *********
Was he born to a Thai parent? If not he is not a Thai citizen I have heard. If he is a Thai citizen but hasn't lived there most of his life he might be able to renounce his citizenship. I was born in Germany to a German mother and renounced my citizenship when I was called up. I was already in the US and ready for college.
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bill ********
mam thia dad English
John *****
Would not be willing to die for this country
John **********
@John ****
the chances of that in an armed conflict are next to zero!!
John **********
@John ****
read my comment in the context of the post!
John *****
@John *********
chances of dying in and armed conflict is next to zero? You ok pal?
John **********
@John ****
not sure what you’re trying to say??
Rene ********
@John ****
cuntry
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ****
he lives in the UK and is British which is the army of his choice as England is where he lives and his dad is English
John *******
Pm me pal my son is in UK military

Dual national born Thailand with id card and passport
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ******
hi m8 could you give me some advice regarding my son
Brandon ************
If your son was born in Thailand it means nothing. You do not get Thai citizenship just by being born there.

But if his mom is Thai then he is a Thai citizen and is required to join the military draft. The embassy will not give him a letter stating he has no commitment because he DOES have a commitment. He must register for the draft at the age of 21 and go to pull either a red card (2 years in the military) or a black card (the commitment is fulfilled with no military service).

Regardless of where a Thai citizen is living, they are still required to return to Thailand and do this or they are breaking the law.
Av **********
Your son has to comply with Thailand.

He either had to be apart of the military training program in high school which with completion expels him from being in military.

Or he has to go choose out of the box a red or black ball. Red ball he goes to the army and he serves - which then would probably hinder any service in another country' military.

But honestly, I'm guessing you can afford it. You have to go grease the wheels. My friend got out of it for 20,000 baht, but that was like 25 or 20 years ago. Can't imagine the donation you have to supply now.

Your son, if a citizen of Thailand has to comply. If he returns to Thailand without doing his citizen duty - then he can be in a lot of trouble leading to arrest even.

Oh there is another way to get out of it, gender reassignment surgery. They won't take anyone who chopped off the willy.

But no matter what, in the end this will cost you money and he will get out of it.
Jonathan ********
@Av *********
sounds like your saying even no officers incl Generals, well maybe you didn’t meet them.
Jx ******
@Av *********
30-50k does the trick now.
Av **********
@John *****
yeah my exhusband is half Thai half British, he got of it because his family was high-society. But yeah it sucks but it’s the law
Av **********
@Brandon ***********
oh for sure! Yeah I figured that would be the price now. My ex husband is half Thai half British, but his sister is a big Thai celeb so you can imagine he got out of it easy
John ******
@Av *********
you are very right…
Av **********
@Rodney *******
I worked with the Thai military for years- tell you what, not one person I met came from a well to do family. As long as your hi-so there are ways out
Brandon ************
@Av *********
It's about 30-50,000 baht now depending on the province. But you can't just pay, you have to know someone who can facilitate it as an option behind closed doors.
Rodney ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
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