The results of Sunday's constitutional referendum demonstrate a critical reversion of political thought among Thai voters. In voting for a less democratic draft constitution, they have made it clear they prefer immediate remedies for political and economic woes rather than fully-fledged democracy.
The endorsement of the draft charter bears the stamp of acceptance of both Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his economic team led by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
Thais accepted the draft charter that will pave the way for a non-elected prime minister and the overwhelming authority of the military in politics.
Under the new regime, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will have overwhelming authority over an elected government during the first five-year period following the first general election expected to take place by the end of next year. The regime's power will be entrenched in its appointment of 250 senators who will represent one-third of the parliamentary vote.
Wichit Chantanusornsiri is a senior economics reporter, Bangkok Post.
The vote marks a U-turn in Thais' political beliefs -- from fully-fledged democracy, which arose during the Black May uprising of 1992, to a half-baked one. It shows the performance of the current regime answers their needs.
The outstanding feature of Gen Prayut's performance during the past two years is the stability of Thailand's political environment from which colour-coded street protests have been absent.
Stable politics has fostered growth and continuity in economic development. Different rating agencies have cited political stability as a key factor in economic strength.
Therefore, the referendum outcome seems to show voters' preference for stable politics over a perfect democracy, and economic remedies over Western political ideology.
It sends a message they do not want to see any more of the political turmoil which the country endured for a decade before the 2014 coup. They made their choice based on a belief Gen Prayut can keep everything under control.
This choice of the majority may be seen as short-sighted by opponents of militarised politics who prefer a perfect democracy in which parliament is elected. For democracy advocates, a fully-elected parliament is a more sustainable option for long-term economic development and corruption eradication.
However, the majority of Thais have made their choice which echoes the need for quick fixes to problems that can bring about political stability, no matter what tools will be used.
They want to ensure the nation can move forward and does not get stuck in a domestic political predicament which will derail economic progress -- a scenario which could result in Thailand being downgraded to the status of undeveloped country. They rather want to see a country that can leap from middle-income status to a higher one.
The regime's economic performance in the past two years is a key factor that could have influenced voter decision. Economic instability along with the global economic crisis during the past four years have affected Thailand's economic growth which has stood at 2.7%, 0.8%, 2.8 and 3.3% from 2013 to 2016, respectively. Growth rates are low compared to the country's capability which should propel growth rates to 4%-5%.
The military regime's economic measures have helped save the economy from sinking further. The regime has pushed for investment in several infrastructure megaprojects to pave the way for longer-term development.
Development projects spearheaded by the government include the expansion of elevated rail lines in urban and suburban areas of Bangkok and adjacent provinces, the development of double-track rail lines and an inter-provincial motorway. This infrastructure will improve inter-provincial connectivity which will reduce logistics costs.
Meanwhile, the government has implemented a series of immediate measures to help farmers affected by the economic downturn. It has injected a total of 180 billion baht into the rural economy and will spend about 45 billion baht this 2016-2017 season. This includes soft loans for farmers and small- and medium-sized enterprises and the planned expenditure of 37 billion baht as cash handouts to 3.7 million farmers to ease their hardship.
The implementation of its economic policies along with the political stability of the past two years are key factors that could have influenced many voters on Sunday.
Thai voters have bet on the country's future in making a U-turn on their political beliefs. They have accepted the prospect of an elected government controlled by the military and possibly led by a non-elected prime minister.
It remains to be seen whether this new constitution can bring about needed reforms that could help move the economy forward while reducing poverty and bridging inequality gaps.