The Thai junta’s cabinet gave a green light to a bill on Military Reserve Force (MRF) to establish the MRF Committee in order to tighten up calls for military services and lay out criminal offences against employers who refuse to pay their workers while serving the military.
The cabinet on Monday, 7 July 2015, approved the Military Reserve Force Bill to form a ‘Military Reserve Force Committee’, a committee which will have authorities to summon Thai males who were trained as ‘Nak Suek Sa Wicha Thahan’, Military Reserve Force (MRF), for additional trainings and military services if needed.
The bill was proposed by the Defense Ministry and has already been considered by the Council of State. It will be sent to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for further deliberation.
Thailand has a mandatory military service which applies to all male citizens who have turned 21 years old. Some volunteer to serve in their country’s armed forces and others are subjected to a random draft lottery for a Red or Black card. The Red cards means that one has to serve the military service whereas those getting the Black cards do not have to serve.
However, the male youths who do not want to try their luck on the draft lottery or join the formal armed forces can choose to participate in MRF training, which requires them to participate in 20 weeks training annually during their high-school years. The students be automatically classified as MRF after they finished the training.
According to the draft bill, the MRF Committee will be headed by the Prime Minister or Deputy PM. It will dictates all policies regarding the conditions and regulations of the MRF, such as call for services, length of the services, including, penalties for those who ditch the calls to serve the military.
MRF Bill will include criminal offences similar to Article 146 of the 1998 Labor Protection Act against employers who deny their male employees of payment while they have to serve in the military.
The bill will also dictate the MRF service payments and all public services provided to the MRF personnel.
According to the bill, the Secretary Office of Defense Ministry will be serving as the MRF Committee's Secretary Office as well.