April 24, 20242 yr From VN Express Thai transgender beauty queen Kantong Passarapon attends the annual conscription event in April 2024. Photo from Passarapon's Instagram The South China Morning Post noted that Kerayuphan and Passarapon, both 21, attended the annual conscription event, held from April 1-12 this year, with the necessary certificates to seek exemption from military service. Their eye-catching presence at the recruitment center provoked a range of reactions online. "It feels like a beauty pageant rather than a conscription lottery site," one Instagram user remarked. "As a woman, I have a feeling of inferiority," another expressed. A student at Sripatum University in Bangkok and a campus ambassador, Kerayuphan has over 115,000 followers on Instagram. Endearingly referred to as the "Thai Bay Angel" by her admirers, Passarapon boasts an impressive record with approximately 100 pageant titles to her credit. She is currently studying at Suan Dusit University, as reported by Thaiger. According to Thai legal regulations, all men aged 21 are obligated to serve in the military, with a possible two-year service term if selected by a lottery during the conscription period. To determine their service obligation, eligible individuals draw cards from an opaque box – a red card signifies enlistment, while a black card means exemption. This year, the Thai army sought to enlist 40,000 of the 85,000 soldiers needed through this lottery system. Transgender women are eligible to request an exemption from military service by presenting a certificate of gender reassignment surgery, although they must still appear on the draft day.
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