International human rights agencies have urged member countries of the United Nations to pressure military-ruled Thailand to end repression of human rights and restore democratic civilian rule.
The calls came as Prime Minister and junta chief Prayut Chan-o-cha is due to speak at the UN General Assembly in New York next week.
New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the General Assembly presented an important opportunity for governments and UN officials to urge Gen Prayut to "act immediately" on a broad range of human rights concerns, including the military's sweeping and unchecked powers.
"Thailand's junta leader should get the welcome he deserves at the UN, which is an earful about the junta's abysmal human rights record," HRW Asia director Brad Adams said.
"The leaders attending the General Assembly should use their meetings with Gen Prayut to urge an end to the junta's wave of repression and restore democratic civilian rule."
According to the rights watchdog, more than 200 websites about the political and human rights situation in Thailand have been blocked for having content the junta considers threatening to national security.
Since the May 2014 coup, the junta has summoned at least 751 people to report to the military authority; most were politicians, activists and journalists accused by the junta of criticising or opposing military rule.
Meanwhile, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has called on UN member states to use the next Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Thailand next year to demand key human rights commitments from the ruling generals.
"UN member states must continue to demand Thailand bring its repressive laws into compliance with its international obligations with regard to the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly," said FIDH president Karim Lahidji.
Thailand's second review is scheduled to be held in April, 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Paris-based FIDH, along with Thai member organisation Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) and its partner organisation Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw), said the situation concerning the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to peaceful assembly has worsened since Thailand's first UPR in 2011 and needs to be addressed.
"Thailand has continued to restrict those rights through the use of legislation and proclamations that are inconsistent with the country's obligations under international law, notably the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights," said FIDH, which has 178 member organisations from nearly 120 countries.
Both HRW and FIDH said they are concerned by the growing number of lese-majeste arrests and prosecutions under Section 112 of the Criminal Code.
Since the coup, 53 lese majeste cases have been brought against suspects -- 40 of whom allegedly posted or shared comments online, according to HRW.
