The Khon Kaen University Council has approved new guidelines for adjusting the initial salary rates and compensation for both academic and support staff. This initiative aims to develop a more appropriate remuneration system that aligns with the current work environment and labour market competition, while also motivating staff to advance their potential.
During the 3rd/2026 meeting of the Khon Kaen University Council, held on Thursday, 5 March 2026, at 09:00 hrs in the Sarasin Meeting Room, Sirikunagorn Building, a significant agenda item was discussed: the adjustment of salary rates for Khon Kaen University personnel. This decision marks another crucial step in refining the university’s human resource management system to enhance its suitability and effectiveness.
Dr. Bowornnan Thongkalaya, a distinguished expert member of the University Council, stated that the primary goal of this salary adjustment is to create a more suitable compensation system that supports the university’s organisational development. It aims to foster a working environment conducive to attracting and retaining talented personnel who can collectively drive Khon Kaen University towards becoming a leading national institution.
The council has approved the adjustment of initial salaries and compensation for all staff categories, including both academic and support personnel. The support staff category encompasses professional and specialist groups.
Dr. Thongkalaya added, “This action represents a systematic approach to wage management aimed at incentivising staff to fully develop their potential. This is being done in the context of changes in the education sector, including a declining student population and increased competition from various public and private organisations.”
Khon Kaen University, its Council, and the administration are therefore committed to the continuous development of its personnel, enabling them to create value and propel the university towards academic excellence and social service.
Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, provided further details. He explained that the consideration of salary and compensation adjustments follows a University Council resolution from 4 September 2024, which approved adjustments for executive-level positions and mandated a review of the entire staff compensation structure.
Subsequently, on 3 September 2025, the University Council approved the first phase of wage adjustments for Khon Kaen University employees. A comparison of wage rates with peer universities revealed a need for an increase. Consequently, wages for over 2,000 employees were adjusted, with a budget of 58.7 million baht.
This latest meeting marked the second round of compensation adjustments, focusing on university personnel. The university engaged Human Intellectual Management Co., Ltd., a human resources consulting firm with experience in analysing and restructuring wages for leading Thai universities such as Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University, as well as major private sector organisations.
The council approved the salary and compensation adjustments for all personnel, including academic and support staff, based on three main principles:
- Comparison of salaries and compensation with peer universities, including Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, Chiang Mai University, and Prince of Songkla University.
- Consideration of prevailing labour market wage rates to ensure the university’s competitiveness in attracting skilled personnel.
- Assessment of the university’s budgetary capacity to absorb the increased expenditure.
The meeting considered two approaches to manage the impact on existing staff resulting from the new initial salary rates:
- The first approach involves identifying a cut-off point and adjusting the salaries of staff whose current pay falls below this point, ensuring that new hires do not earn more than existing staff above the cut-off. Staff with lower salaries would receive larger increases, while those with higher salaries would receive smaller ones.
- The second approach involves increasing the salaries of all existing staff by the difference corresponding to the new rates.
The second approach would require a budget of nearly 200 million baht, which would place a significant strain on the university’s finances. Therefore, the council approved the first approach, but extended the impact cut-off from one to two times the standard, allowing the adjustment to benefit a larger number of existing staff.
This method will result in salary adjustments for approximately 2,249 personnel, requiring a budget of 45.1 million baht. When combined with the budget used for the earlier adjustment for employees, the total expenditure will be approximately 104.8 million baht, a level that the university can manage using its income-generated funds.
In accordance with the University Council’s resolution, these salary and compensation adjustments will be effective retroactively from 1 October 2025. The university will prepare the necessary budget to provide back pay to all eligible personnel.
Looking ahead, the University Council and the university administration will proceed with restructuring the entire salary system for all personnel. A comparative study has shown that Khon Kaen University’s current salary structure is lower than that of other leading universities. The restructuring will involve expanding the salary bands, which will have a broader impact on staff. The new salary structure is scheduled to be completed and implemented from 1 October 2026.
The university will disseminate information and gather feedback from staff to ensure that the future salary structure is appropriate and benefits all university personnel in the long term.
ข่าว : เบญจมาภรณ์ มามุข
ภาพ : ณัฐพงษ์ ชำนาญเอื้อ/อรรถพล ฮามพงษ์/ชายชาญหล้าดา และฝ่ายทรัพยากรบุคคล
