Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha lashed out at the media on Tuesday for their reports on the draft constitution.
"[You] ask me every day: Will there be election? Will it be held in 2016? Do you want to have elections tomorrow? What will you do if bad people [politicians] are elected?" the prime minister blasted reporters when asked about his opinions on the draft proposed by the Constitution Drafting Committee.
"I have to continuously improve my efficiency since there are people who often blame me. Go ahead, damn me. I'm not worried."
"If the country crumbles, don't blame me. I have told you everything. Have you listened? Tell me, have you read what this government has done?" the prime minister continued.
Government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the prime minister is concerned about the ethics of some media outlets that he feels lack discretion.
He said the prime minister wanted the media to present news items which help readers improve their quality of life or motivate self-development.
"The prime minister is concerned particularly about some media that lack professional ethics and allow themselves to be used by politicians and some groups of propagandists with a hidden political agenda," Maj Gen Sansern said.
"Those people have used the media to confuse people in society by turning white into black and vice versa to further escalate conflicts in the country so they are without end. What is worse is that misinformation spread by these people has caused an unfavourable image of the country in the eyes of the world, which does not know the real situation in Thailand," he said.
The media should not be a tool for these people to damage the country; it should uplift standards and reform itself, he added.
"The media should no longer sell only news on conflicts and opinions that are not neutral. They should concentrate on presenting facts through careful analysis. To conclude, the media should be more responsible to society," he said.
Maj Gen Sansern said the media should not present news to make people believe "others" without understanding the issues.
Meanwhile, United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Jatuporn Prompan was summoned to a meeting with the NCPO Tuesday following his criticism of the military and draft constitution.
Mr Jatuporn was tight-lipped after a two hour meeting with officers from the NCPO's peace and security force at the 1st Army Region headquarters.
The meeting came after his recent appearance on a Peace TV programme, during which he labelled the armed forces "gangsters" and criticised the draft charter. The UDD leader vowed to rally his supporters to reject a referendum.
An army source said the UDD leader was reminded of his promise to cooperate with the NCPO and refrain from making political statements. The source said that Mr Jatuporn was not detained. He was released after the talks, the source said.
Upon release, Mr Jatuporn said soldiers had telephoned to invite him for talks at the 1st Army headquarters. He said he will reveal the details of the meeting later.
NCPO spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree said that the NCPO does not prohibit any groups from expressing their views or criticising the draft constitution.
Mr Jatuporn and co-leader Nattawut Saikuar signed an agreement with the army in November pledging to stop political activities that incited public unrest.