General election could be delayed : Finance minister
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National elections could be delayed and not take place for another 18 months, Finance Minister Sommai Phasee told the BBC in an exclusive interview.
The Prayut Chanocha government discussed the election last week, Sommai said, adding that it could be “a year and a half."
Prayuth had earlier said that it was likely democratic elections could be held in a year's time, possibly at the end of 2015.
“The prime minister has said it would take about one year. But, my feeling is that it may take maybe,a year and a half."
BBC reported that the delay meant that Thailand wouldn’t return to democracy until the middle of 2016.
Sommai also said there was no end date for martial law as Prayut needed it as a tool to deal with security.
The finance minister expects GDP growth to be around just 11.2 per cent this year.
When asked when the economy could return to a growth rate, Sommai said GDP could expand by 45 per cent.
The Thai government will spend to boost the economy and increase subsidies to farmers as one of a number of shortterm stimulus measures.
