Soldiers are following former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for her own protection, not to intimidate or harass her, says Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
He defended the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) decision to step up security for Ms Yingluck, insisting the soldiers have no intention of infringing on her rights.
"It's not harassment. I can assure the NCPO means no harm. We're there to ensure safety. But if she isn't happy with that, we'll ask the officers to ditch the uniform," he said.
The minister was responding to a remark by Pheu Thai Party's Worachai Hema that Ms Yingluck was upset about being followed around by men in uniform who also took pictures of her.
He said it violated her privacy.
The move comes after Ms Yingluck's increased public activity in recent weeks as a court case over the controversial rice-pledging scheme in which the former premier is accused of negligence of duty gets under way.
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Early this month Ms Yingluck hosted a garden party at her home in Soi Yothin Pattana in Bang Kapi district, with foreign correspondents and select Thai journalists invited.
Gen Prawit also denied a claim by Kyoto-based Thai academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun that soldiers were sent to harass his family in Thailand.
On charter matters, meanwhile, he dismissed as unnecessary a proposal that an executive decree be issued to require voters to take part in the charter referendum.
He said the government is likely to adopt the traditional practice, which is to campaign for Thais to come out and vote.
Territorial defence students, or Ror Dor students, can help in the campaign which will be undertaken by interior officials and the military.
He said no special law will be issued to maintain peace and order in the countdown to the referendum, tentatively scheduled for July this year.
Gen Prawit also defended the cabinet's charter proposals submitted to charter drafters, saying the government wants a five-year transition period to make sure reforms will be implemented.
He also said the proposed 20-year national strategy is just a set of general guidelines, not specifics.
He insisted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will not chair the proposed national strategy committee as some had reported and said the issue should be left in the hands of the Senate. He was denying claims the committee represents a veiled post-poll power grab by the NCPO.
Gen Prawit said there is no need to set up a committee to oversee the situation during the transition to democracy and all mechanisms would be worked out by the Senate.
Earlier, Gen Prayut stressed the need for the country to have a chamber of selected senators to work for five years after a general election to ensure the new government follows the guidelines on reform.