1 week Ago By Will Stroude
Trans women in Thailand have gone viral after attending a military recruitment centre. Footage from Thailand’s annual conscription lottery went viral after a group of transgender women attended. As per Thailand’s 1954 Military Service Act, Thai men are eligible for compulsory military service at the age of 21 and will typically serve in the military for two years.
Eligible men from the country must gather each year at a recruitment center to undergo a national lottery. Those attending are given an envelope, and inside is either a red or black card. Red means they have been selected for military service, while black means they are exempt.
However, the trans community in Thailand are still required to attend the recruitment centre in person for the draft lottery. Trans women can be exempt from serving in the military if they present a gender reassignment certificate or relevant medical documents. $bp("TargetVideo_44189295", {"video":"2086902","width":"16","height":"9","id":"39804"}); Each year, trans women across the country head to the recruitment centers to submit their paperwork and often turn the moment into a celebration.
They mark the moment with photos, proudly holding their certificates outside the recruitment centre. The annual event has even been hailed as a symbol of pride for the country’s trans community. The conscription news comes after the country’s health ministry freed up millions to provide hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for 200,000 trans people.
After signing equal marriage into law, the Thai government went one step further by supporting gender-affirming care for the gender-diverse population in the country.Deputy government spokesperson Anukool Pruksanusak noted the country’s growing acceptance of the trans and non-binary community, as per local outlet Bangkok Post. He acknowledged that they may opt to undergo gender-affirming care like HRT as part of their journey.
The National Health Security Board approved 145.63 million baht (£3 million) in its 2025 budget, planning to go towards health services, including hormone therapy, for its trans citizens. The budget will aim to support around 200,000 transgender people, out of an estimated 314,000 trans people living in the country, as per Asia Pacific Transgender Network.
The post Thai trans women go viral at military draft as they celebrate conscription exemptions appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news..
