Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday pleaded for greater public understanding of the positive changes his government is making, and urged the politicians who will succeed him to follow through.
Speaking on his weekly Returning Happiness to All Thais broadcast, Gen Prayut urged people to take a closer look at his government's efforts to solve national problems and lay strong foundations for national development.
"The government is trying to do everything. Please understand. I am sad whenever what is done is not understood," he said.
The National Council for Peace and Order had improved national stability and security and had broken deadlocks resulting from political conflicts, he said.
As well, he said, the military-led government was stimulating the economy and solving long-standing national problems. He cited the illicit ivory trade, human trafficking, illegal fishing, deficient air transport regulation, corruption, farmers' hardships, and financial losses of state enterprises.
At the same time, he said, the government's infrastructure projects were stimulating the economy while research and development was planned to make Thailand a major production base of electric vehicles in the future.
"Everything is progressing satisfactorily," he said.
The government has been formulating national strategies and reform plans for the next two decades to enhance national competitiveness and they could be guidelines as well as key performance indicators for the governments and politicians to come, Gen Prayut said.
Some of those guidelines must be written into the constitution and related laws to ensure that they are carried out, he said.
He urged the politicians who will form the next elected government to work for the public interest as he has been doing.
"Politicians elected by the people should respect people's rights and opinions," he said. "Don't wait until you've been asked. Don't just help your own supporters. It would go against democratic principles if you choose not to be fair."
Gen Prayut also urged people to develop themselves because that was also essential for national development.