Prayut promises salary hike to tambon officials, denies wooing their support for elections
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday told a gathering of officials from tambon administrative organisations (TAOs) that his government would soon raise their pay.
Prayut’s announcement during a seminar of around 6,000 TAO officials from around the country was received with loud applause by the officials.
The prime minister quickly clarified that the pay increase was not aimed at winning political support from TAO officials ahead of the upcoming election.
Prayut told the seminar, which was held at the Rajabhat Udon Thani University’s auditorium in Muang district of Udon Thani province, that the salary hike for TAO officials had been considered by Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda for some time.
The prime minister added that Anupong would issue an order to raise the salaries of TAO officials, which would be published in the Royal Gazette next week.
The announcement is expected to boost Prayut’s popularity ahead of the election, tentatively scheduled for May 7. TAOs are the local administrations with the closest connection to the grassroots. Winning support from TAO officials is seen as a crucial move to influence political decisions of villagers to a certain extent.
Prayut also told the seminar that speculation his government would seek to dissolve TAOs were not true.
Instead, his government would support TAOs, which are ready to be upgraded to municipalities
The prime minister also promised that the government would soon increase welfare support for TAO officials, including medical expenses and school expenses of their children.
“I have not come here to launch my election campaign today but these things must be speeded up,” Prayut said.
The PM was accompanied by Anupong, PM’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana and Chatchawal Kong-udom, an adviser to the prime minister.
