Thai PM says 5-year military rule is over

This article is more than 12 months old

Jul 16, 2019 06:00 am

BANGKOK Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha formally resigned as the head of the military government yesterday, saying the country would function as a normal democracy after five years of military rule.

He stays on as prime minister with the backing of pro-military parties in Parliament and a military-appointed Upper House under a Constitution that critics say stifles democracy and enshrines a political role for the military.

Mr Prayut, in a televised address, said military rule had brought success in many areas, from fixing the problem of illegal fishing to human trafficking.

Mr Prayut, who seized power in a 2014 coup, said the intervention then had been necessary to restore order after six months of violent clashes, but things were getting back to normal after the March 24 election.

People are generally cautious about what the new set-up might bring. Said market vendor Noppawan Hiranpruk, 47: "We have to see their work first. It is okay to have old faces provided they have new ideas to make new things happen." - REUTERS