Understanding Regular Civil Servants: Types and Position Levels

In Thailand's public administration system, " regular civil servants " are a key workforce driving government policies and public services. Thairath Online will introduce what regular civil servants mean, how many types there are, and the levels of positions.

(Based on information from the Civil Service Act B.E. 2551 [2008] and the Office of the Civil Service Commission.)

Understanding what "regular civil servants" are

" Regular civil servants refers to individuals appointed according to the Civil Service Act B.E. 2551 to perform duties within civilian government agencies and who receive salaries funded by the budgets of those agencies.

How many types of positions are there for regular civil servants?

Currently, regular civil servant positions are divided into four types: administrative, managerial, professional, and general. Each type is further subdivided by position levels based on responsibility and expertise to support career progression and systematic personnel management in the government as follows.

1. Administrative positions

These are senior executive positions within government agencies, including other positions designated by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as administrative, such as

• Permanent Secretary of a Ministry,
• Deputy Permanent Secretary of a Ministry,
• Director-General,
• Deputy Director-General.

2. Managerial positions

These are heads of units below the department level, responsible for managing and supervising agency operations, for example,

• Director of an Office,
• Director of a Division.

3. Professional positions

Positions requiring specialized knowledge, generally requiring a bachelor's degree or higher as specified by the CSC, such as policy analysts, financial and accounting experts, public health professionals, etc.

4. General positions

Positions not included in the above three types, mostly operational or support roles, with qualifications determined by the CSC according to each work category.

What are the position levels for regular civil servants?

For career growth and salary structure, each type of regular civil servant position is divided into sub-levels according to duties and work quality, detailed as follows.

Administrative positions have 2 levels.

• Junior level.
• Senior level.

Managerial positions have 2 levels.

• Junior level.
• Senior level.

Professional positions have 5 levels.

• Operational level.
• Competent level.
• Special competent level.
• Expert level.
• Distinguished expert level.

General positions have 4 levels.

• Operational level (entry-level for those with qualifications below bachelor's degree, e.g., vocational certificate or diploma).
• Competent level.
• Senior level.
• Special skill level.

(Based on legal information from the Civil Service Act B.E. 2551)

Furthermore, regular civil servants receive salaries according to their position types and levels, as specified by the legally mandated salary scale. Therefore, understanding the structure of positions and job levels is beneficial for both current employees and prospective civil servants to appropriately plan their career advancement.

References:www.ops.moph.go.th

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