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 1^st.

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 1^st, 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.