The Fourth Army, which is responsible for southern Thailand, is prohibiting political parties from campaigning at restricted areas inside conscription venues, said its commander Lt Gen Santi Sakultanak.
The move follows reports about MP candidates from the Move Forward Party (MFP) holding rallies and criticising conscription at the venues where the annual conscription is under way.
Scrapping military conscription is one of Move Forward’s key policies. The party promises to end it in a year if elected to power.
The Thai Sang Thai Party also says conscription should be abolished in favour of voluntary enlistment and better military welfare.
Lt Gen Santi said all observers, including election candidates, are not allowed in the area where the conscription draw is being held as it is reserved for people summoned to report for military service only.
Families and friends of people attending the draw are also required to remain outside the area, he said.
The clarification follows the circulation of a memo purportedly sent out by the Fourth Army commander on social media.
In the memo, conscription committees are told to stay alert for political activities and ask candidates to refrain from displaying anti-conscription posters near venues.
In a related development, the Defence Ministry has postponed the date new conscripts must report for duty from May 1 to May 15 so that they can vote in the May 14 general election.
