Army chief calls for reconciliation

"Soldiers are duty-bound to safeguard the Kingdom, uphold the monarchy, ensure peace on the border and promote good neighbourly ties while political problems ought to be resolved by the government and parties concerned," he said.

Prayuth said although the Army has been keeping tabs on politics as political uncertainty has a direct bearing on security issues, it would not stray from its job and meddle in the rifts.

He said he had no opinion about the government's plan to push for a new round of political reform through the rewrite of Article 291 of the charter to form the Constitution Drafting Assembly.

He further stated that he saw no justification in speculating about a seizure of power when several political mechanisms have yet to be allowed to run their course in order to put politics back on course.

He was speaking after an inauguration ceremony for Lt-General Kanit Sapitak who succeeds him in the position of commander of the First Army.

Kanit said he would carry on policies laid down by Prayuth, with the priorities of keeping peace on the borders and assisting flood victims.

He dismissed concerns about Thai-Cambodian border tensions. Border disputes are being handled by the Joint Border Committee and there are no new issues cropping up, he said.

Navy chief Admiral Kamthorn Phumhiran urged the government to heed the voice of the people to come up with a political reform acceptable to all sides.

For the reform process to succeed, it is imperative for the government to fill the Constitution Drafting Assembly with capable individuals to take charge of designing the political system, he said.

With regard to him being a former classmate of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he said he wanted to suggest to everyone to work together to advance the country instead of trying to fault one another.

He reminded his critics that he had started his pre-cadet studies in the same year as Thaksin, but in 30 years of his naval service, he did his job without resorting to nepotism.