Thais seem ever less impressed by the army

“EVEN MILITARY dogs are grateful to the army,” said Apirat Kongsompong, its commander, earlier this year. He was implying that if mere animals could muster the appropriate emotion, people should be overflowing with gratitude. After all, the army is a “sacred” institution, he believes. Yet ordinary Thais do not seem to realise how lucky they are. Indeed, they have been showing signs of sacrilege.

Enlistment is one indicator of disenchantment. Every April the government conducts a lottery to select some 100,000 conscripts to serve in the armed forces for two years. Because this year’s draft has been delayed until July, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, a shortfall of soldiers looms: just 5,460 out of 42,000 conscripts scheduled for discharge at the end of April have volunteered to stay on, despite the wilting economy. Often it is poorer boys from rural areas who end up as conscripts; richer Thais seem better at finding ways to dodge the draft. Reports of beatings, abuse and drudgery abound. Occasionally conscripts die from such mistreatment. So unpopular is conscription that a new party which promised to end it and seek other military reforms won the third most seats in last year’s election.

A fuss about military spending is another sign of Thais’ diminishing regard for men in uniform. The government, led by Prayuth Chan...