Kulwalee, Chair of the Land, Natural Resources, and Environment Committee, has unlocked compensation for those affected by wild elephants by reducing the procedure to 30 days and is pushing to clear a backlog of 41 million baht.
On 29 August 2026, Ms. Kulwalee Nopamornbodi, Chair of the Land, Natural Resources, and Environment Committee of the House of Representatives, led the committee to hold a meeting with the Director-General of the Department of National Parks, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Comptroller General's Department, and the Budget Bureau at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The goal was to accelerate compensation payments to those affected by wild elephants, which had previously faced delays exceeding six months. The discussion resulted in a concrete decision to reduce internal processing time from 45 days to 30 days, speeding up payments by 15 days.
Ms. Kulwalee stated that from 2023 to 2026, there were 1,515 compensation claims totaling 58.94 million baht. These included 17 deaths, 1,221 cases of agricultural damage, and 227 cases of property damage. The Department of National Parks has requested central budget funds four times but has only disbursed payments to 70 individuals totaling 7.39 million baht in the first batch. The second to fourth batches, covering 791 individuals and about 39.7 million baht, remain under Budget Bureau review and project documentation, leaving an outstanding amount of approximately 51.6 million baht.
Ms. Kulwalee added that although an additional 10 million baht budget was allocated for 2027, there remains about 41.6 million baht owed to the public for claims that have been verified. She urged the Ministry of Natural Resources to promptly find mechanisms to secure funding to pay the outstanding amounts and requested relevant agencies to prepare explanatory documents outlining constraints and proposals for the committee to discuss with senior executives and decision-makers.
The committee chair also noted that the meeting considered a proposal for the Department of National Parks to have an advance fund to pay compensation upfront and seek reimbursement later, which would reduce budget allocation delays. However, the Comptroller General's Department highlighted regulatory limitations, while the Budget Bureau explained that central budget use must prioritize the urgency of national missions.
"I understand the constraints faced by all agencies and thank the Director-General for immediately cutting 15 days from the process. Although it may seem a small number, it means a great deal to families in distress. I am determined to continue pushing because there is still over 41.6 million baht owed to citizens awaiting payment, and I will follow up until all payments are completed," she said.
Ms. Kulwalee concluded that the committee will proceed with three parallel actions: 1. Expedite securing funds to pay outstanding claims fully and promote a systematic mechanism for faster compensation payments; 2. Reduce procedural steps wherever possible immediately; and 3. Upgrade monitoring and early warning systems, since preventing damage is better than compensating after the fact.
