The instruction concerned a daily minimum wage increase for workers as well as an increase in the salary of civil servants. Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke on Sunday downplayed speculation the salaries of civil servants would be increased sooner rather than later. He said the PM had only ordered a study into whether it is possible to increase civil servants' salaries. Of them, some 427,000 serve as teachers and educational personnel while about 421,000 are civil servants and about 325,000 serve with the armed forces. There are also another 1.24 million personnel in state enterprises, universities, state agencies and public organisations.
