Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday downplayed growing international concern over handling of the police investigation into the killing of two British backpackers on Koh Tao and rejected an offer of assistance from British law enforcement.
Gen Prayut denied that Thai charge d'affaires in London, Nadhavathna Krishnamra, had been "summoned" by the British Foreign Affairs Ministry, saying Monday's meeting was simply to provide "clarification."
"They do not have any more doubts about the investigation," Gen Prayut said. "They simply needed more time to understand it all because we managed to arrest suspects swiftly even though it seemed impossible at the beginning."
Police arrested two Myanmar nationals 19 days after Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were bludgeoned to death on the Surat Thani island. The investigation, plagued with missteps and claims of police torture, has been criticized from Myanmar to the London, with critics claiming suspects Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun were scapegoats for the real killers.
At the meeting in England, Mr Nadhavathna explained "how we work. They might be surprised at how quickly we work but we explained the steps we have in place," the premier added.
Following the Monday meeting, junior Foreign Minister Hugo Swire reiterated that the "UK police stood ready to assist with the investigation and subsequent legal process."
On Tuesday, British Ambassador to Thailand Mark Kent met for three hours with police and Foreign Ministry officials to review the case and repeat the UK's offer.
Later in the day, however, Gen Prayut wasted no time in rebuking the offer, calling the case an internal matter.
"Anyone can come to Thailand, but don't forget that what is our business should remain ours," he said. "I consider the Koh Tao case to be reliable."