Transgender Thai beauty queens shock army by turning up for military draft, striking good looks stun social media
- Military service in Thailand is compulsory for men aged 21
- Gender reassignment proof needed to exempt transgender women
A military recruitment centre in Thailand was shocked when two drop-dead gorgeous beauty queens showed up on registration day.
The transgender women had been selected to enlist for military service in the county’s annual recruitment lottery. They refused but still had to report to the conscription unit.
According to Thailand’s 1954 Military Service Act, men are eligible for military service at the age of 21. In the active Thai military, soldiers typically serve for two years.
If the number of people registering exceeds the available slots, they are selected by drawing lots. On conscription day, eligible recruits will pick cards from an opaque box.
Their fate depends on the colour of the card they draw.
Those who pick red will be enlisted for two years, while those who choose a black card can go home.
The country’s 2024 military draft took place from April 1 to 12.
When the two stunning-looking transgender women showed up at a registration centre located in the Kaset Wisai district in central northeastern Thailand, they attracted a great deal of attention.
Parida Kerayuphan, 21, a student at Sripatum University in Bangkok, is a campus ambassador due to her attractive appearance and has 69,000 followers on Instagram.
Kantong Passarapon, 21, is another transgender woman who has reportedly participated in about 100 beauty pageants and won championship titles. Fans call her the “Thai Bay Angel”.
They went to the recruiting office with a certificate of gender reassignment surgery to apply for an exemption.
In Thailand, transgender people can apply for exemption from military service if they can provide relevant medical certificates, but they still need to report to the conscription unit.
The pair’s dazzling presence in the otherwise austere military setting sparked a heated discussion on social media.
“It feels like a beauty pageant rather than a conscription lottery site,” one online observer on Instagram said.
“As a woman, I have a feeling of inferiority,” said another.
The Thai army usually recruits between 80,000 and 100,000 soldiers each year, depending on the birth rate.
A spokesman for Thailand’s Ministry of Defence said that 40,000 of the required 85,000 places would be recruited via lottery this year.
Thai men usually receive letters giving conscription information at the age of 17 and are required to reply.
If they are unwilling to take part they must join the lottery held every April.
It is possible to be legally exempt from the military draft in certain cases.
For example, by undergoing a three-year reserve officer training programme in high school.
Additionally, disabled individuals and monks with a higher level of Buddhist education can also receive permanent exemptions.
People who do not turn up for military service selection in the draft can face up to three years in prison.
