Complaints of double standards and pay scales of officials in far South
By the News Desk
The Cabinet’s decision on Tuesday September 14 to increase the “risk” allowance by 500 baht from 2,500 to 3,000 baht a month plus other incentives to teachers in the three southernmost provinces has sparked off disappointment among other officials doing their jobs down there.
Well-informed sources who are senior local administration officials said that several officials of local administrative organizations such as Tambon Administrative Organisation, Provincial Administrative Organisation and municipality feel that the additional incentives granted to the teachers amount to a double-standard practice. They also feel that they also risk their lives working in the region and, therefore, deserve the same incentives such as the 3,000 baht a month “risk” allowance.
The sources said that the 2,500 baht monthly “risk” allowance given to the local officials of TAO, PAO or the municipality had already strained the budgets of the local administrative bodies whereas the revenues of the organizations remain largely unchanged.
Besides the monthly 3,000 baht “risk” allowance, the Cabinet also agreed to increase the insurance coverage for the teachers from 500,000 baht to one million baht. They are also entitled to cheap loans and tax incentives.
For teachers who were killed by insurgents, their last salaries will be posthumously increased no less than seven-fold. This means that their surviving families will benefit from the pay hike. Also, children of the deceased teachers will be given a job in civil service if they want to and if they are still studying, the state will sponsor their education until they complete their bachelor’s degree education.
The sources noted that the new “risk” allowance for teachers would be 500 baht higher than that given to policemen and soldiers serving in the strife-torn region.
To ensure fairness to all officials serving in the region – be it civil servants, policemen or military personnel, a senior local administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity suggested the government to overhaul the entire incentive system.
“When a policeman or an army officer was killed or injured, he was given a promotion and his pay increased but not local administration officials. Take the case of the district of Mai Kaen who was killed in a bomb explosion, he was not promoted posthumously. Or take the case of an assistant district chief who lost a leg in a bomb blast which deprived him of the right to enroll in the district chief school. And no one care about it,” said the official.
Mr Somporn Engchuan, a special-grade veterinarian based in Yala province, complained that officials of livestock, fishery and agriculture departments who also risk their lives working in the far South as do the teachers were not awarded as much as the teachers.
“We had no arms and defenceless when we went out to work. But we went out anyway with our spirit. Asked whether we are afraid or not. We do. But we have a job to do,” said Somporn.
When the full-time teachers were taken care of by the government, there is however a large group of temporary teachers who strongly feel that they are totally left out.
“Under the present circumstances, no one knows for sure when he or she will come under attack by the insurgents. But we always bear in mind that we must do our best. But we feel discouraged because we, the temporary teachers, are not important in the eyes of the phuyai (senior officials). None has paid interest in us. We are still getting only 5,000 a month pay which is barely enough to make a living. Worst still, we have no right to voice our grievance,” said a female temporary teacher who declined to be named.
The followings are the allowance scales of officials in the far South:
The Military:
- sergeant-major: 180 baht daily allowance plus six baht a day; 2,500 baht a month risk allowance with 21 baht in daily food allowance to be deducted from the allowance;
- special sergeant-major up to colonel: 210 baht daily allowance plus another six baht a day; 2,500 baht risk allowance with 41 baht daily food allowance to be deducted from the amount.
To sum up, the special allowance for a sergeant-major is 5,400 baht a month while a commissioned officer from sub-lieutenant to colonel is 6,300 baht a month excluding the 2,500 baht risk allowance.
The Police:
- non-commissioned officer: 2,500 baht risk allowance plus 1,500 baht cost of living allowance.
- Commissioned officer: 2,500 baht risk allowance plus 4,000 baht cost of living allowance with another 3,000 baht a month for certain positions.
Teachers and other educational officials:
- 2,500 baht risk allowance a month (before the adjustment).
Local administration officials:
- 2,500 baht risk allowance plus 600 baht a month for officials who are also attached to the Fourth Army Region’s ISOC branch office and the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre.
Defence volunteers:
- 4,000-8,040 baht salary plus 3,500 baht cost of living allowance plus 2,500 baht risk allowance and an additional allowance not exceeding 600 baht a month.
Officials attached to tambon- and village-level local administration officials:
- 8,000 baht salary for kamnan (to be adjusted to 12,000 baht as of October this year)
- village headmen: 7,250 baht salary (to be adjusted to 10,000 baht as of October this year)
- assistant village headmen: 6,250 baht salary (to be adjusted to 8,000 baht as of October this year) All of them are not entitled to risk allowance.
Healh officials:
- specialists: 22,000 baht salary plus 3,500 baht positional allowance, 1,500 baht cost of living allowance and 3,000 baht in risk allowance.
- experienced level: 18,000-19,000 baht salary plus 1,800 baht risk allowance.
- Operational level: 7,000-10,000 baht salary plus 900 baht risk allowance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------