First raise in a decade sought for Thailand’s defenders of the wild

The parks department is seeking a long overdue bump in the salaries of park rangers to kick in Oct. 1.

Attapol Charoenshata, acting chief of national parks, said today that a formal letter was sent to the finance ministry asking for 13,000-plus ranger salaries to be increased from THB9,000 to THB11,000 per month. Though it amounts to over 20%, it would be the first such increase in 10 years.

Being a ranger is no walk in the park. They work under difficult conditions and are often the last line of defense for Thailand’s threatened wildlife, often by men with much more wealth and power.

Attapol cited the nature of ranger duties and risks they face for the increase.

The last time they got a raise was 2012, when salaries were increased from THB6,000 to THB9,000 per month.