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Red card or black card? The conscription lottery in Thailand
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The current form of Thailand's military draft, which is mandatory for men, has been in place for decades, and tens of thousands of recruits are conscripted every year.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Muktita Suhartono
NONTHABURI, Thailand – The crowd started trickling into a mall on the outskirts of Bangkok around 7am on a recent Thursday. Hundreds of people showed up, most of them men. They were there to pick a card from a jar.
Draw a black card and go home free. Draw a red card and report for duty in Thailand’s military.
