Thailand’s military says they do not want to hold onto power, but there are no alternatives under the current political situation.
"We don’t have any ambition to stay in power because we’ve already got responsibilities to take care of." said Lt. Gen. Chatchalerm Chalermsukh, Thai Army Deputy Chief of Staff.
"Today there are still protests. It shows that some people want to create turmoil. So it’s impossible to hold elections at the moment."
Thailand’s military chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, met with a team of advisors for the first time on Thursday. According to a military official, the General and his team will map out a strategy for securing the country and propping up the economy.
Meanwhile, the military government is attempting to maintain control over the protest factions. The army released a handful of Red Shirt leaders on Wednesday, on the condition that they refrain from what the military terms "provocative" activity. A failure to comply could mean two years in jail.
