112WATCH interviews activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal on the abolition of conscription in Thailand
The interview with Netiwit Chotiphaiphaisal explores his decade-long journey as a conscientious objector challenging Thailand’s mandatory conscription through the lens of Buddhist ethics and civil liberties.
March 1, 2026
He argues that the current military system reinforces inequality, indoctrinates citizens into authoritarianism, and violates the fundamental principle of non-violence. By taking his case to the Constitutional Court, Netiwit seeks to establish "freedom of conscience" as a bedrock of Thai democracy, hoping to transition the country toward a voluntary military and a society that values independent thought over blind obedience.
Read the interview below –
