PUBLISHED : 31 Aug 2023 at 12:34
Outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Thursday that it was his last day of work at Government House, but he would continue to serve his role as a caretaker until the new cabinet’s inauguration.
After paying respects to the shrines at Government House on Thursday morning, Gen Prayut told reporters that he would leave Government House for the sake of appropriateness.
Gen Prayut said he wished for blessings upon all and the nation’s peace and prosperity.
“I wish today is a good day for you,” Gen Prayut told reporters at Government House.
Gen Prayut, the then-army chief, staged a coup d’etat on May 22, 2014, amid violent movements between pro- and anti-Yingluck Shinawatra government demonstrators. Days earlier he imposed the martial law. He was appointed as prime minister in August of the same year.
Following a general election on March 24, 2019, Gen Prayut was elected prime minister by parliament.
The Constitutional Court suspended his prime ministerial role in August last year pending its ruling on questions about his eight-year term prime ministerial tenure. The court later confirmed the legality of his prime ministerial post in September last year.
Gen Prayut hoped to remain as prime minister after the May 14 general election by being a prime ministerial candidate of the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party. However, the party secured 36 out of 500 House seats, ranking fifth in the polls.
He announced to quit politics in July. Last week he outlined the contributions of his administration.
Property tycoon Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party succeeds him as the 30th prime minister, after the election-winning Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat failed to secure enough votes from the appointed Senate to become premier.