About 1,000 women nationwide, mostly from the southern provinces, have flocked to apply for the Royal Thai Navy's marine corps ranger force which will be stationed in the deep South.
Capt Boonkeod Moonlakan, commander of the marine corps ranger regiment, yesterday said of the total candidates aged between 18-30, only 120 were selected to join the force early this month.
They are required to undergo three months of training at Thewa Pitak army camp in Chanthaburi before being deployed to the three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
Capt Boonkeod said the training includes weapons training and self-defence.
Southern culture and Islamic principles, along with knowledge of local cooking styles, were also required as these could benefit them in their field work operations, which sometimes require they interact with local residents, said Capt Boonkeod.
The force, comprising 1,600 marine corps rangers of which 120 are women, will be first stationed in two provinces: Narathiwat's Bacho, Yi-ngo and Muang districts and Pattani's Mai Kaen district.
The rangers will earn a salary of 19,000 baht per month.
They will also be entitled to apply for a military position as a permanent civil servant in the future.
Capt Boonkeod, however, said the salary was not the only factor making them want to become rangers as many candidates said they wanted to help provide security and restore peace for residents in their home region.
"Several said the job is challenging but weren't afraid because had they been afraid they wouldn't have applied to join the unit," he said.
Some applicants also said they wanted to become soldiers and would be proud to wear a military uniform.
Capt Boonkeod said the ranger force will mainly handle female villagers and suspects.
A navy source said the marine corps ranger regiment was set up last year.
The newly established regiment aims to help alleviate the burden of the southern-based marine corps special task force at Chulabhorn Camp in Narathiwat after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Army Regions withdrew their forces from the restive South in April last year.