“We have to think of soldiers who are willing to be soldiers,” he said. “If we make them work with these students, they might abandon their colleagues in the war zone.”

He said he had not yet thought of other potential solutions to solve problems associated with wayward students.

It is compulsory for all qualified Thai men aged 21 to 30 who have not voluntarily joined the military to draw lots annually to determined who is conscripted into the armed services.

It had been proposed that students charged with brawling or motor racing would be conscripted into the military automatically without going through the drawing of lots.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said he supported the proposal but added he needed more time to think it through.

He said some laws would need to be amended if the proposal were adopted.

National police chief General Chakthip Chaijinda also threw his weight behind the proposal.

“Being soldiers is serving the country. It is better than them wielding knifes, shooting and killing each other on the road, and causing terror to the public,” he said.

He said police would take legal action against students who misbehave.

He said offending students should be sent to live in the three southernmost provinces so they received life experience.