Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned anyone hoping to gain a seat on new panels for reform and charter drafting against lobbying for the roles.
Gen Prayut made the comments yesterday at a seminar hosted by the National Economic and Social Development Board on the 12th National Plan (2017-2021).
The premier said he did not approve of lobbying and those who tried to gain favour in this way would be quickly excluded from consideration.
Gen Prayut will pick the 200 members of the National Reform Steering Assembly, which replaces the dissolved National Reform Council (NRC).
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will decide who joins the new 21-member Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC).
"The CDC will write a new draft and listen to opinions from all sides. Don't try any lobbying with me. Those who try will be crossed out first," Gen Prayut said.
The prime minister also defended the NCPO's new roadmap, which was extended by 20 months after the NRC rejected the first draft charter.
He said if the new panels, which will be appointed later this month, finish their work quickly, elections could be brought forward.
A general election is expected to take place in mid-2017 after a new charter and its organic laws are enacted.
Gen Prayut dismissed criticism that he had told the NRC how to vote on the draft charter.
He urged the public to focus on reform and other initiatives that could be implemented by future governments, instead of dwelling on the rejection of the previous constitution.
During his speech, Gen Prayut mentioned former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, who was also attending the forum.
"To tell Mr Abhisit the truth, I don't want to prolong my stay in power. You can tell them [the politicians] for me. But we have a lot of problems and I need help from politicians. The good ones must help me build a firm foundation [for the country]," he said.
"It's important to make people realise that politics is about national administration, about good governance, and not mobilising supporters."
The prime minister called for cooperation from all sides during the reform process, including the overhaul of budget planning and resource management.
For example, he said state agencies should integrate their work on water management, instead of working alone.
Gen Prayut said the country needs a strategic plan to guide national development, but previously the policy platforms of political parties had been allowed to dictate the country's administration.
The prime minister said politicians would be barred from joining the new charter drafting committee to avoid a conflict of interest.
He said it would be best if politicians remained on the sidelines and instead gave their opinions and recommendations about the new draft.
However, he said, anyone who was interested in joining the reform assembly should submit their names directly to him, and not through other channels like the media.
The prime minister said he was still working on the list of potential candidates for the reform assembly, including government officials and politicians.
The reform body will be mainly asked to turn the NRC reform blueprint into plans of action.
Gen Prayut said it was possible that elements from the previous charters and the draft recently rejected by the NRC could be adopted and developed in the new draft constitution.
The premier insisted that since he had stepped in to break the political impasse through last year's coup, he had the right to say what should be included in the new draft charter.