Prayut maintained that he had no plans to form a new political party or contest the next election, which is expected to take place late next year.
“I just complained about getting a low salary in contrast to the hard work. I said I was pleased to work even though I would not get paid. I did not mean I would stay on as prime minister in the next government,” he told reporters at Government House Monday.
“The media concluded a wrong interpretation of what I said.”
On Friday, Prayut said: “Even though the work is harder and I am not paid for doing the work, I will be pleased to stay. But I will stay through democratic means and in a dignified way, although I don’t know now how that will come to be.”
The prime minister’s comments made headlines the following day and were interpreted as an offer to serve again after the next election.
Prayut said yesterday his reference to “democratic means” related to decisions to be made by the Constitution Drafting Commission and the Constitutional Court in regard to a new constitution and its organic laws.