For the first time, the Thai army exceeded its voluntary conscription plan: over 30 thousand people applied online for military service, which is 105% of the target set by the Ministry of Defense. This was reported in an official press release from the country's ground forces command. In previous years, the number of people willing to serve was half that, according to kp.ru.

The military attributes the increased interest in the service to a new advertising strategy. For the first time, the army has taken to social media with a campaign built on humor and appealing to young audiences in a language they understand.

Slogans include offering a "break from your wife" at military camp, and promising young men going through a breakup such intense training that they'll forget their personal problems. The navy is advertised as an opportunity to "at least learn to swim," while the air force is positioned with an emphasis on the geographical accessibility of duty stations. Along with humorous material, the campaign also includes more emotional messages: in particular, the advertisement emphasizes that on a recruit's first day of service, his mother receives her son's first month's salary in her account.