Majority oppose bill to replace conscription with voluntary enlistment

The majority of respondents to an online opinion survey on the People's Party's bill to replace mandatory conscription with voluntary enlistment have expressed opposition to the proposal.

The survey was conducted between May 7 and June 6 by the Office of the Secretary-General of the House of Representatives as part of the legislative process for bills with potentially wide-ranging impacts, in accordance with Article 77 of the Constitution.

The bill was proposed by Ekkarat Udomumnouy, a Bangkok MP from the People's Party, and endorsed by fellow party MPs.

A total of 41,982 people submitted opinions. Of those, 54.87% opposed the abolition of mandatory conscription, while 45.13% supported the bill.

The bill proposes that individuals who voluntarily enlist may serve in the military for up to five years and be provided with opportunities for career advancement within the armed forces.

Under the bill, enlistees would be guaranteed safe training conditions, with their human dignity and rights respected.

One of the bill's key provisions is that enlistees would not be assigned personal errands for active or retired senior military officers or their families, nor would they be subjected to physical or psychological abuse that undermines their dignity. In cases of alleged abuse, an investigation would be required and the matter referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for consideration.

The bill, one of the People's Party's flagship policies, has yet to be debated in parliament.