TOKYO — Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says the military will return to the barracks once a civilian government is elected, but stopped short of ruling out another coup "if something cannot be solved'' by the new leaders.
"The military has its proper role as a government agency, so don't worry,'' Gen Prayut told the Nihon Keizai Shinbun newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.
An election for a new government will be held as early as the end of this year, he said.
The interview was also published online by the Nikkei Asian Review, an affiliate of Japan's leading financial newspaper.
When asked about the possibility of another coup, Gen Prayut didn't answer directly, but said that "Thailand is different from other countries. If something cannot be solved, the military will solve it."
"If the people are suffering, the national military must help them," he said. "That's part of the Thai military's code."
Gen Prayuth, who ended his visit to Japan on Tuesday, led a coup that toppled the government in May and assumed the premiership last summer.
The prime minister said the junta can set an example for future governments and vowed to clamp down on corruption before new general elections are called.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his wife Naraporn are on board a high-speed train from Tokyo to Osaka on Tuesday to wrap up his three-day visit to Japan. (Government House photo)
The prime minister said Thailand would maintain diplomatic balance between the rival Asian powerhouses of China and Japan.
His trip to Japan was his first official visit after visiting China in December.
Japan is Thailand's top investor, while China has emerged as rival since the prime minister took over the government.
Thailand agreed with China in December to build two new train lines. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Thai premier on Monday that Japan was keen to develop some train routes in Thailand and supported the long-delayed Dawei Special Economic Zone in Myanmar.
One of the rail lines Japan is interested runs from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
The visit to Japan was aimed at "encouraging greater economic cooperation and investment in Thailand," he said in the interview.
Gen Prayut took a high-speed train from Tokyo to Osaka on Tuesday and was briefed on the train management from Japan Railways East at Tokyo Station before his departure.