The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is seeking a pay increase for some 14,000 forest rangers, from 9,000 baht to 11,000 baht per month, from the Comptroller Department of the Finance Ministry, effective from October 1st.
The department’s director-general, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, said today (Tuesday) that the current 9,000 baht salary was last increased from 6,000 baht on April 1st, 2013, which is not in line with the current economic situation.
Given the responsibilities and risks associated with their job, he said that there is a big gap between their pay and that of other officials, said Atthaphon, adding that the incumbent Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Varawut Silpa-archa, is fully aware of the problem and would like the forest rangers to be treated and compensated properly.
Each year, a number of forest rangers are injured or killed in the line of duty.
