PM meets Gen Prem

The prime minister said he met Prem because he considered him "a senior figure who serves as a good example for the country".

"I respect him and have faith in him. So, I seek his advice after assuming the new office. I consider this a good beginning," Somchai said. However, he declined to discuss further details about his meeting with Prem.

"He showed his kindness to me and his advice is useful to the country," Somchai said.

When asked if this meeting would lead to any positive development about the ongoing political crisis, Somchai said it would depend on the public how they viewed it.

"To become prime minister, I am not strictly a politician. I have a background as a permanent official. I will stick to the principles of law and I will take care of poor people," said the premier.

"I don't intend to play politics and I don't think this is a political game. Sometimes I don't want to talk about politics. It's a never-ending topic," he said.

When asked if he talked about the People's Alliance for Democracy with Prem, Somchai said he simply paid his respect to him and did not talk about "serious issues".

However, he declined to answer a question whether ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra was mentioned during yesterday's meeting.