Court Sentences Activist to Six Months for Refusing Military Conscription
A Thai activist was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison for refusing mandatory military conscription, though the sentence was suspended for one year after the court rejected his religious exemption claim.
On July 20, 2025, the Samut Prakan Provincial Court handed down a verdict in the case of Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, who refused to participate in mandatory military conscription on April 5, 2024. The court determined that prosecution evidence was credible in proving the defendant failed to report for military service. The court rejected his constitutional defense based on religious beliefs, ruling that the Military Service Act does not violate the Constitution and that such beliefs do not constitute a legal exemption. Netiwit was found guilty under sections 27 and 45 of the Military Service Act. The court sentenced him to six months imprisonment but suspended the sentence for one year, given that he has no prior criminal record. No reporting requirement was imposed.
