Thai Army Cadets in School: Uniform, Drill, and the Draft Talk
Ror Dor:
Fatigues on Drill Day, Catch-Up After Camp
We see it every term in the secondary schools we work with around Ban Lum: on a Thursday or Friday, some of your M4 to M6 students turn up in green fatigues and boots. They're Ror Dor cadets (รด.). They have class in the morning, drill in the afternoon, and after camp weeks they come back tired and behind. Your job is attendance and homework, agreed with your Thai co-teacher. The draft belongs to the Ministry of Defence, not to you or to us.
What Is Ror Dor? Reserve Training for M4–M6
Who joins, and why it matters for your timetable.
Reserve Training Students
Ror Dor stands for naksueksa wicha thahan (นักศึกษาวิชาทหาร), shortened on paper to นศท. It is voluntary army reserve training for students from Mathayom 4 to 6 (and in some vocational colleges): drill, basic military skills and camps, alongside normal school. Younger students do scouts and guides instead.
Joining Up
Students usually sign up at the start of M4 and have to pass a fitness test to join. Not everyone in a class will be a cadet, so on drill day you may teach a half-empty room.
Open to Girls
Girls can join Ror Dor (you'll hear รด. หญิง, ror dor ying) and do the drill and camps. They are not part of the male draft, so for them it is simply a choice.
Drill Day: Fatigues, Boots & the Afternoon Bus
Why part of your class goes missing on Thursday or Friday afternoon.
| Item & Thai | What It Usually Looks Like | What It Means for You |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigues ชุดฝึก |
Green or camouflage fatigues with a school or unit patch. Details vary. | Cadets wear it all day, including your morning lesson. Rooms get warm, so open windows or use the fans. |
| Combat boots รองเท้าคอมแบท |
Black lace-up boots. | If your room is shoes-off, unlacing and relacing takes time. Allow a few minutes. |
| Belt & beret เข็มขัดสนาม และ หมวกเบเรต์ |
Web belt, with a beret or cap. | Headwear comes off indoors; let students put it away. |
| Short haircut ผมเกรียน |
Usually very short, as the trainers require. | Don't comment on it. It goes with the kit. |
Class in the Morning
Drill day often runs to a split timetable: cadets come to morning lessons in uniform, then take a bus to the local army base (มทบ., monthon thahan bok) or training site for drill in the afternoon. Times and days vary by school; Thursday or Friday is common, so check the LINE group.
A Half-Empty Room
If you teach M4 to M6 in the afternoon on drill day, the cadets will be away and everyone else stays. Use the lesson for review, pair speaking or project work, not new material the cadets will need for a test.
Camp Weeks: Khao Chon Kai and Tired Kids
What camp means for your classes. Dates vary by school and year.
Field Training Camps
Cadets in Years 1 and 2 usually go on field training (fuek phak sanam, ฝึกภาคสนาม) at an army site. Dates vary by school and year, so watch the Thai school calendar and the LINE group.
Khao Chon Kai
Year 3 cadets (usually M6) are known for their camp at Khao Chon Kai in Kanchanaburi, the best-known Ror Dor training site. Ask your co-teacher which week it falls in; don't rely on dates you read online.
Catch-Up After Camp
Cadets come back tired and behind. Agree catch-up work (ngan chot-choei, งานชดเชย) and any make-up speaking tests with your Phee Liang, and follow the school's approach to absences.
The April Draw: What Students Talk About
The short version, as it is commonly explained. Explaining it is not your job.
The April Draw
Thai men are called up around age 21, and selection day, usually in early April, is often decided by drawing cards. It's a big day for families, and your students will talk about it.
Bai Dam (ใบดำ)
As it is commonly explained, drawing a black card (bai dam, ใบดำ) means not being selected for active service that year.
Bai Daeng (ใบแดง)
A red card (bai daeng, ใบแดง) means being selected for military service. Service length is commonly described as up to two years, shorter for some volunteers; check current Ministry of Defence rules.
Three Years of Ror Dor and the Draft
You'll hear students say, "If I finish Ror Dor Year 3, I don't have to draw." Finishing three years is commonly described as a route onto the reserve list instead of the April draw, which is why many boys stick with it. But the rules are set by the Ministry of Defence and can change, and the paperwork is handled by the school and the district office, not by you. If a student asks, send them to the school's Ror Dor teacher. Your part is attendance and homework.
Your Job: Attendance and Homework
What we tell every KET teacher with M4 to M6 classes.
Ask Your Phee Liang First
Don't announce deadline extensions or change marks on your own. Ask your Phee Liang (พี่เลี้ยง, Thai co-teacher) how the department handles cadet absences, and treat every cadet the same way.
Plan for Tired Afternoons
After drill or camp, cadets are drained. Skip long lectures and heavy reading; use pair dialogues, vocabulary games and short speaking tasks.
Use Their Leadership
Cadets are used to line-ups and squad jobs. Make them team captains or give them classroom jobs; most take it seriously.
No Cadet Kit, No Drill Photos
Wear your normal smart work clothes, never cadet kit or borrowed badges, even as a joke. Don't photograph drills for your personal social media, and don't mock the uniform or the army.
💬 LINE Messages for Your Co-Teacher
Copy these to your Thai co-teacher or the department LINE group when planning around drill days. They end in คะ / ค่ะ; men can swap in ครับ.
Cadet Thai: Words You'll Hear at School
Words students and Thai staff use around drill days and camp.
| English | Thai Script | Say It | When You'll Hear It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army cadet (short) | รด. | Ror dor | What everyone says, students and teachers alike. |
| Cadet (formal name) | นักศึกษาวิชาทหาร | Nak sueksa wicha thahan | On forms you'll see นศท. (nor sor tor). |
| Girl cadet | รด. หญิง | Ror dor ying | Girls in Ror Dor; also written นศท. หญิง. |
| Gone to drill | ไปฝึก รด. | Pai fuek ror dor | Why a student is missing from your afternoon class. |
| Field training camp | ฝึกภาคสนาม | Fuek phak sanam | Camp training at an army site; also called ค่าย รด. (khai ror dor). |
| Khao Chon Kai | เขาชนไก่ | Khao chon kai | The well-known Year 3 camp site in Kanchanaburi. |
| Army district base | มณฑลทหารบก (มทบ.) | Monthon thahan bok | The local army base where many schools send cadets for drill. |
| Black card | ใบดำ | Bai dam | At the April draw: not selected, as it is commonly explained. |
| Red card | ใบแดง | Bai daeng | At the April draw: selected for military service. |
| Combat boots | รองเท้าคอมแบท | Rong thao khom-baet | Part of the drill-day kit. |
| Thai co-teacher / mentor | ครูพี่เลี้ยง | Khru phee liang | Your Phee Liang. Ask them before changing deadlines or marks. |
| Make-up work | งานชดเชย | Ngan chot-choei | Catch-up work after drill days and camp weeks. |
Apps Our Teachers Use
Handy for timetable changes, school notices and getting around.
