Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has been recruiting as many as 13,000 new forest rangers, to protect the country’s dwindling forests and resources.

Besides the recruitment plan, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, the department’s head, said they plan to upgrade the status of park rangers, with proper remuneration, fringe benefits, job security and a career path, instead of being employees without any other welfare, benefits or prospect of career advancement, as is currently the case.

Marking World Ranger Day today (Monday), Atthaphon said that park rangers have patrolled, on foot, covering more than 480,000 hectares, or 70% of Thailand’s conserved forests, in the past year.

While on their patrols, he said the rangers have collected valuable information on bio diversity, natural resources and risks to the forests, which are vital for the development of strategies to protect them.

In the 2023 fiscal year, eight park rangers were killed and 17 injured while performing their duties, said Atthaphon, adding that the department has set up a welfare fund to help the injured and families of the fallen rangers.