Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha will remain in politics and his United Thai Nation Party (UTN) will respect established norms about the formation of the new government, according to the party leader.
UTN, which has Gen Prayut as its prime ministerial candidate, will respect political tradition when it comes to the handover of power to the next government, its leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said on Sunday night.
“We will not be unorthodox on the matter,” he said, apparently referring to the tradition that the political party that wins the most House seats has the right to form the new government.
“We have done our best during the time we have had,” Mr Pirapan said. UTN was founded two years ago.
Asked if Gen Prayut, the present prime minister, would remain in politics and with UTN, Mr Pirapan said Gen Prayut would stay on as the chief strategist of the party.
Separately, Gen Prayut spoke briefly to reporters at UTN headquarters.
He simply thanked all the voters who supported him and his party, and said he had done the best he could to work in the national interest and support development. He respected democracy, he said.
Gen Prayut did not comment when asked about the Pheu Thai Party’s chance of forming a new government, or the possibility that a minority government could result from the votes of the 250 senators.
He then waded through an army of reporters and departed.