Ages 17–19: Must register for the military reserve list at the local district office.

• Upon reaching age 20, they must collect the Sor Dor 35 draft call-up notice to report for military selection at age 21.
• The period between ages 17 and 19 is simply for registration and collecting notices, while age 21 is the actual draft day for those who do not qualify for deferment.

Ages 20–29: Must register for the military reserve list and collect the Sor Dor 35 draft call-up notice.

• Those who do not request a deferment or postponement must collect their call-up notice at age 20 and report for selection at age 21.
• Those who request postponements must re-apply every year between ages 20 and 29 until they turn 30. Put simply, if you move back before age 30, you will have to deal with the draft process every year.

Ages 30–46: Exempt from military selection.

• You still need to register on the reserve list, but you do not need to participate in the draft selection.
• You will be placed into Type 2 Reserve Status, meaning you would only be called up after career soldiers, active reserves, and Type 1 reserves. After age 46, you are completely free from any military obligations.

If you want to come back to Thailand without having to go through military drafting at all:

• Moving back at age 30 or older is the surest way to avoid the draft completely.
• You will still need to contact the local district military officer to settle the documentation.
• Coming back at 30 or older allows you to handle essential Thai identity documents—such as your birth certificate, house registration (Tabien Baan), Thai ID card, and Thai passport.

If you plan to settle down or live in Thailand permanently after age 30, but want to live in Thailand as a foreign national before that:

• You can apply online for a Non-O (Family) Visa through a Thai embassy or consulate abroad to accompany a Thai parent.
• Select the visa category: Non-Immigrant Visa – To stay with Thai family for more than 60 days. This grants an initial 90-day stay.

• If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, you must meet the financial requirement starting from the visa application process abroad, which is 400,000 THB in bank funds.
• The same financial requirement applies when extending your stay inside Thailand.
• You can extend your stay 1 year at a time, renewable every year just like other Non-O visa types.

• You can use your overseas birth certificate for both the visa application abroad and for stay extensions in Thailand.
• Foreign birth certificates must be official certified copies (authenticated to prove authenticity). If the certificate is not in English, it must be translated into Thai or English before submitting it to Thai Immigration.