More than half of the latest batch of military conscripts were found to be drug users or small-time dealers, along with a high level of illiteracy, to the dismay of the 2nd Army Region commander.
Second Army Region commander Tawat Sookplang says half of new conscripts are got involved in drugs. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Lt-Gen Tawat Sookplang revealed that background checks showed more than 50% of new military conscripts were involved in drugs, mostly as drug users and low-level dealers, Post Today reported on Tuesday.
There was also a high rate illiteracy and semi-literacy among the new recruits, said Lt Gen Tawat.
‘’The army normally conducts background checks of all new conscripts on their first day in army camp.
"The information we obtained shows that Thailand has a higher number of drug addicts than our neighbouring countries, even though the drugs are being smuggled here from those countries.
"The kingdom also has illegal drug factories, but the number is small due to the drastic crackdowns on their operations,’’ the 2nd Army chief said.
He asked the public to act as ears and eyes for the authorities, to help end the drug menace.
To tackle the illiteracy problem, the 2nd Army Region would cooperate with the Office of Non-formal and Informal Education’s Nakhon Ratchasima branch office to improve the education of conscripts with poor reading and writing skills.
Lt Gen Tawat said he saw it as necessary that the army help these new recruits raise their level of literacy. It was army policy.
‘’Each year, thousands of conscripts are recruited into army service. Some of them can neither read nor write. They know only how to sign their names. I earlier thought that the current education system was unlikely to produce people who remain illiterate. But there remain considerable numbers of them,’’ said Lt Gen Tawat.