Thai junta boss eyes staying on with little stopping him
BANGKOK — When Prayuth Chan-Ocha seized control of Thailand in a military coup, he vigorously denounced politicians as responsible for the country’s ills and positioned himself and his fellow generals as the cure.
Four years on, with many of the country’s problems still festering and the public growing impatient for long-delayed elections, the junta leader made a declaration that for many seemed to confirm suspicions that he planned to stay in power long past any polls.
“I am no longer a soldier. Understand? I’m just a politician who used to be a soldier,” the 63-year-old former-army-chief-turned-prime-minister told reporters at the turn of the year, adding, “But I still have a soldier’s traits.”
The world’s only nation still under formal military rule, Thailand is under increasing pressure both at home and abroad to return to civilian governance. The message now appears clear: In one form or another, the gruff general wants to be that civilian.