Factor Affecting Satisfaction on Fringe Benefits of Agricultural Extension Officers in Upper North of Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study: 1) conditions of agricultural extension officers under agency welfare support; 2) factors affecting the level of satisfaction of agricultural extension officers regarding agency welfare support; 3) issues, obstacles and limitations of agency welfare support for agricultural extension officers. The sample consists of 238 agricultural extension officers from 8 provinces in the upper north of Thailand, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, and Mae Hong Son. Most agricultural extension officers have knowledge in mind about fringe benefits of agricultural extension officers. In the right to disburse medical expenses as well from the research results found that 95.38 percent of the agricultural extension officers have knowledge about the right to disburse medical expenses. Fringe benefits eligibility for disbursement of medical expenses is the basic of fringe benefits that all officers set up. But there are also agricultural extension officers representing 5.56 percent who are unsure of receiving various benefits from the officer. Data analysis is conducted using STATA statistical software and probit models. Regarding the level of satisfaction of agricultural extension officers with respect to officers fringe benefits support, it was found that those who participated in credit quality improvement projects for civil servants with the Government Savings Bank were overall more satisfied with the welfare support they received, at 18.03%, than those indebted to the Department of Agricultural Extension Savings and Credit Cooperative, while the level of satisfaction regarding agency welfare support of agricultural extension officers specializing in food science and technology was 27.46% higher than that of agricultural extension officers specializing in other fields. Regarding issues, obstacles and limitations of agency welfare support for agricultural extension officers, it was found that budget support for projects provided insufficient allowances for agricultural extension officers, hindering their performance. Suggestions made by agricultural extension officers included increasing budgets in order to support wider areas, and increasing the number of available transport vehicles in order to facilitate more seamless and efficient operations.