Thailand
Thai transgender beauty queens steal spotlight by appearing for Thai military draft
Two Thai transgender beauty queens left social media buzzing after they appeared at the Kaset Wisai district’s military conscription centre in early April.
They were identified as Parida Kerayuphan and Kantong Passarapon.
Both, aged 21, were selected to enlist for military service in the country’s annual recruitment lottery.
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, reported South China Morning Post.
As per Thailand's 1954 Military Service Act, men are eligible for military service at the age of 21.
Soldiers typically serve for two years in the active Thai military.
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, reported South China Morning Post.
Their future depends on the colour of the cards they select.
Those who select red are enlisted to serve in the military for two years while selecting a black card will set them to return home.
The 2024 military draft of the country occurred between April 1 to 12.
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, the newspaper reported.
The other person Kantong Passarapon has reportedly participated in about 100 beauty pageants.
The transgender women 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, reported South China Morning Post.
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