Thailand protests: PM Prayuth says ‘no one wants a coup’ amid rumours
- ‘I don’t mean whether or not there will be a coup, but that no one wants to do it,’ the premier says
- Political uncertainties have risen in Thailand since widespread anti-government protests began sweeping the kingdom earlier this month
Asked about rumours and suggestions by some protesters of a possible coup to replace him, he said the question should be asked of those making the comments, not to him: “We never think about this. We need to be careful and prevent the situation from escalating.”
Rising discontent against the premier is seen as one of the main factors feeding the demonstrations but Prayuth has made clear that he doesn’t intend to resign.
The former army chief has run Thailand for over six years, having taken power himself in a 2014 coup and returning as premier after elections last year under a constitution produced by his military regime.
A revision of that constitution and reforms to the nation’s monarchy are the main demands of the protesters.
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Thailand protests: How it all started
A likely coup would give the army sweeping powers to crack down on the current protests.