BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister
General Prayuth Chan-ocha told European investors on Wednesday that he
was not a dictator and that his government was seeking to create a
Thailand that would be more attractive for their long-term investments.
Prayuth was appointed prime minister on Monday after he was
elected by a rubber-stamp parliament he hand-picked.
The army chief seized power in a bloodless coup on May 22 following
six months of sometimes deadly protests that helped oust elected
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The military said intervention
was necessary to avoid further bloodshed.
Prayuth met representatives from the Thai-European Business
Association (TEBA), a group representing 80 Thai and European
investors including automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and
logistics firms, telling them he was prepared to do "everything" to
ensure Thailand remains a hub for foreign investors.
"I am prepared to do everything. Just show me your investment
roadmap," he said
Prayuth, 60, who is also Thailand's army chief, said the country
needs time to deal with its political transition.
"We are not dictators that just order whatever," Prayuth said during
the meeting at the army's Bangkok headquarters, the first between
the junta leader and foreign investors following his appointment as
premier.
"We listen to many civilian advisors. I ask you and the European
Union to give us some time to deal with our problems."
The United States and European Union (EU) both downgraded diplomatic
ties with Thailand following the coup. The EU, Thailand's third
largest trade partner and its second biggest investor, has suspended
visits and trade talks.
'NOT CRUEL'
Critics have accused Prayuth of ruling with an iron fist and say his
appointment as premier gives the country only a veneer of democracy
while power remains firmly in the military's hands.
Any public dissent against the takeover was repressed by the army,
protests soon fizzled out and hundreds of dissenters were detained
by the military, some at undisclosed locations.
At Wednesday's meeting, Prayuth dismissed allegations of abuse in
military custody.
"In case you have heard distorted information that we have treated
people badly, it is not true. Just look at my face. I am not a cruel
person."
Thailand's economy, which narrowly avoided a technical recession in
the second quarter this year, is struggling to get back on its feet
after months of sometimes violent street demonstrations that left
nearly 30 people dead.
A regional hub and export base for global automakers, Thailand is
looking to revive domestic consumption and investment following
months of political turmoil that have tested its "Teflon Thailand"
moniker.
WEAK EXPORTS
Exports, equal to more than 60 percent of the economy, remain weak.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Commerce Ministry reported that exports
unexpectedly fell 0.85 percent in July from a year earlier.
Prayuth has outlined a year-long roadmap including national reforms,
an interim government and elections in 2015.
Cabinet members are expected to be chosen by September.
"When we have a fully-functioning government we plan to visit our
counterparts and plan to promote investment in Thailand abroad,"
Prayuth said during Wednesday's meeting.
"Except in places where I am not welcome," he quipped.
TEBA, which has no links to the European Union, told Prayuth its
members were not interested in politics.
"Members do not want to get involved in politics. We want to talk to
you about investments and obstacles in Thailand and how we can help
Thailand to develop technology," executive director Hugh Vanijprabha
said.
