Zookeepers rally to oust national chief
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Hundreds of zookeepers from across the country yesterday rallied at Bangkok's Dusit Zoo calling for the ouster of their national chief, condemning his "inability" to run the Zoological Park Organisation, which receives a budget from the state of nearly Bt1 billion a year.

Wearing black T-shirts, 300 zookeepers from seven state-run zoos nationwide - Ubon Ratchatani, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Songkhla and Dusit - marched around the grounds of Dusit Zoo.

They called on the Zoological Park Organisation's executive board to sack director-general Sanchai Jullamon over what they described as his inability to efficiently manage the organisation, which has more than 1,500 employees.

Protesters waved banners and shouted "Sanchai get out!"

"We give the executive board 24 hours to issue an order to oust Sanchai," said Boripat Siri-aroonrat, an assistant director of the Bureau of Conservation Research and Education, who led the protesters.

He said this was the first time in the 75-year-history of the Zoological Park Organisation that zookeepers from across the country had stood up to oust their chief.

Boripat said Sanchai, a former head of the legal execution division of TMB Bank, was only able to apply for and be selected as the director-general of the Zoological Park Organisation because the current executive board had revised the qualifications for the position.

Under previous qualification standards, the applicant needed be an organisation deputy director or vice president at minimum; now the applicant must have worked as a government official, state enterprise official or manager.

During the 14 months since Sanchai was named chief of the organisation, Boripat said the investment budget to build infrastructure and support research had regularly been delayed by Sanchai.

Moreover, last year, Sanchai did not give the green light for a research team to perform artificial insemination on a female giant panda, Lin Hui. Sanchai reportedly worried there was no official letter from panda experts in China permitting the Thai researchers to proceed. But after Boripat sent an e-mail to the Chinese Embassy asking for approval, the embassy replied the research team did not need approval from its panda experts to undertake artificial insemination.

"Because of Sanchai's decision, we missed a precious opportunity to make the giant panda pregnant," he said.

Boripat said if the executive board members did not respond to the zookeepers' demands, thousands of signatures would be collected and another demonstration organised.

Meanwhile, Sanchai refused to step down, saying that the procedure to select him as director-general complied with regulations designated by the executive board.

He said he had been able to increase the Zoological Park Organisation's profit to 12 per cent of annual revenue during his term.

He also supported the development of zoological research and received an award from an international institute based in Switzerland. "I have the right to hold this position. I will only quit if I want to," he said.

The Zoological Park Organisation generates about Bt600 million a year in revenue. Of this amount, about Bt300 million to Bt400 million is derived from admission fees. The government allocates about Bt900 million for zoo investments.


-- The Nation 2013-10-03

I think sanchai is not too happy about his post , ......a small budged compared to other Gov Depts so not enough cream for this cat , hence the delayed payments ,..............i could be wrong of course , ...........flying pigs are a growing breed in thailand , unlike pandas !

"He also supported the development of zoological research and received an award from an international institute based in Switzerland. "I have the right to hold this position. I will only quit if I want to," he said."

I have one of those awards also. Cost $19.95 online.

"I will only quit when I've pocketed as much revenue as possible if I want to"...

who is looking after all the animals,while the zookeepers are

protesting in Bangkok, as usual ,money is at the bottom of

most conflicts in Thailand.

regards Worgeordie

"That makes me a sad panda!"

He will defend himself by citing increased tourist revenue and profit. The news story says "hundreds of zookeepers," but it appears to mean employees.

"I have the right to hold this position. I will only quit if I want to," he said.

You are very wrong my friend.

Love the pic in the OP, with the farmboys dressed up as pro-activists!

1 billion baht a year budget to keep some poor animals in captivity for our entertainment.

Sure those money would be better spent helping endangered species still living in the free??

who is looking after all the animals,while the zookeepers are

protesting in Bangkok, as usual ,money is at the bottom of

most conflicts in Thailand.

regards Worgeordie

Read it again. 300 marching but there are 1500 employees.

You have to wonder how bad he has to be to have ZOOKEEPERS from around the country come to Bangkok solely to complain about him.

Zookeepers aren't exactly a group known for protesting. (unlike farmers or students who are known for staging protests in lots of other countries, not just Thailand).

So that is what a Thai zookeeper looks like. They might be mistaken for PT enforcers.

Looks like all they are really complaining about is that they missed the chance to literally screw a tourist.

By "Zoo" - are they referring to those places across Thailand where you can look at various animals in cages that are about the same size as the animal itself?

By "Zoo" - are they referring to those places across Thailand where you can look at various animals in cages that are about the same size as the animal itself?

Probably so. Some friends and I went to Mukdahan. The was a sign saying waterfall this way. We stopped to take a look. They must have forgotten to fill the water barrel at the top of the hill. There was a trickle running between two rocks.

This guy cant win .. imagone the uproar there would be if the headline was " Zoo Chief Inseminates Giant Panda" damned if you do damned if you don't....

Where were they going to find another panda to do the insemination?

Don't know about you, but if you rent a panda, I'm not sure that gives you the right to get it pregnant?

"I have the right to hold this position. I will only quit if I want to," he said.

That's the sort of guy of which we need more

The National Society of Noodlecart Vendors is also rumoured to be considering a protest