ROTC – MUIDS

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Military Service (ROTC)

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Military Service (ROTC)

The R.O.T.C. program doesn’t just give students the ability to fulfill their military service requirement. It gives them an opportunity to gain maturity, character, and leadership. They learn how to depend on and gain strength from each other, and in the end learn how to succeed together.

The MUIDS Experience

Fulfilling Their Obligation

Every Thai male citizen must serve in Thailand’s armed forces. Boys can either enlist after they graduate from high school or college, or serve in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.). Once Thai students complete their R.O.T.C. training, they are classified as “inactive reserve” by the Thai government.

Should a natural disaster or military emergency occur, they can be called to active duty to protect and preserve the nation. Students at MUIDS are not obligated to join the R.O.T.C. program. It is entirely optional.

Military Training

R.O.T.C. students complete a rigorous physical training program that teaches them teamwork, self-discipline, and fortitude. Each year they complete eighty hours of military training. Most sessions are held on Saturdays where students learn the basics of soldiering such as drill formations, marching, and the presentation of arms.

They learn more advanced topics during their second and third years which include following orders from the military chain of command, how to assemble and disassemble weapons, and the use of maps and radios for navigating unknown terrain. Overtime they learn how to work as a team by sacrificing for each other.

The Final Test

All of this training culminates in a weeklong excursion to a remote military camp. Students in their second and third years undergo a series of drills to test their military readiness.

They march on expeditions deep into the jungle and complete aspects of basic training on par with most militaries throughout the world. Their training is not an end in and of itself. It is a means to give them the grit and stamina necessary to overcome difficult obstacles. They become strong both in body and in mind.

Why I Love R.O.T.C.

“Unlike the male students, I chose to do military training. I wanted an experience that I could never get in the classroom, one that taught me how not just to be responsible for myself, but for others as well. The whole experience made me a better person. Most important of all, I had fun.”

-Parinada Suriyaworakul (Class of 2019)