Nadech Kugimiya undergoes an examination by military medical examiners. JAKKRAPAN NATANRI
By Terry Fredrickson
TV star Nadech Kugimiya attracted a lot of attention when he went through military conscription on Monday. A medical condition kept him out of the army, however, generating a social media debate.
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Nadech remains a civilian
Photos of Nadech wakeboarding quickly emerged in the social media. PANTIP.COM
On Monday a young, very handsome 23-year-old man was in his home town of Khon Kaen to attend an important meeting.
He was there to go through the military conscription process. In other words, he was there to find out if he would become a soldier in the Thai army.
Many people were there to see him because he was no ordinary young man. He was famous Channel 3 television star Nadech Kugimiya.
Nadech told the media that he very much wanted to be a soldier but he also had a problem. He has suffered from asthma since he was a child and is still under the care of a doctor. He brought along a medical certificate from Phramongkutklao Hospital.
The medical examiners in Khon Kaen agreed that he did have a problem. Since asthma is on the list of conditions not allowed by the military, Nadech was declared unfit for military service.
Not everyone was convinced, however, and photos quickly emerged in the social media of a very healthy-looking Nadech wakeboarding and playing football. Was the military being overly lenient to a celebrity who helps them in recruiting campaigns?
Nadech had many defenders, however, including people who suffer (from)fromthe condition.
"Those who don't have the condition would not know how you couldn't even walk one step when it attacks," wrote User "1135242" on a Pantip forum. "It can keep us from sleeping at night. Who would want to be sick? He has a medical statement. Why would anyone still want to bother or question a sick person? As someone who has suffered from asthma since childhood, I don't think this is something people should joke about."
Includes information from today's "Pulse" section of the Bangkok Post.
Vocabulary
asthma: a medical condition that makes it difficult to breathe - โรคหอบหืด
bother: to make someone feel worried or upset - ทำให้รำคาญ, ทำให้วิตกกังวล
campaign: a planned series of activities - การรณรงค์
celebrity: someone who is famous, especially in the entertainment business - คนมีชื่อเสียง
certificate: an official document or record stating that particular facts are true - หนังสือรับรอง
civilian: of someone who does not belong to the armed forces or the police - พลเรือน
condition: the physical state of a person or animal, especially how healthy they are - อาการ, สุขภาพ
conscription: the practice of ordering people by law to serve in the armed forces - การเกณฑ์ทหาร
convinced: certain; sure - แน่ใจ, มั่นใจ
declare: to announce officially that something is true or happening - ประกาศ ยืนยัน
defender: a person who defends and believes in protecting something - ผู้ป้องกัน,ผู้ปกป้อง,ผู้พิทักษ์
emerge: to appear or to become recognised - โผล่ออกมา
handsome: attractive; good-looking - รูปหล่อ
lenient: not strict; not giving someone as strong a punishment as you could - ลงโทษสถานเบา หรือให้ความเมตตา
media: radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group - สื่อ
ordinary: not unusual or different in any way - ธรรมดา, ปกติ
overly: too; very - มากเกิน, เหลือเกิน
process: a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result - แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
recruit: to persuade someone to join in something - จัดหาคนใหม่
social media: the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc. - เครือข่ายสังคมออนไลน์
suffer (from): to be badly affected by a disease, pain, sadness, a lack of something, etc - เป็นโรค, ประสบความทุกข์
unfit: not suitable or healthy - ซึ่งไม่เหมาะสม
wakeboarding: the sport of riding on a short wide board called a wakeboard while being pulled along through the water by a fast boat -
