Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said at least 50,000 people residing in Songkhla's Thepha district have said that they support construction of a coal-fired power plant in the area, and he urged the public to listen to both sides of the debate.
Gen Prayut said he has tasked the energy minister with finding a solution free from conflict over the planned construction of the plant in the southern province.
He also stressed in his weekly televised address on Friday night that the government had not yet decided whether or not to go ahead with the project.
Residents and environmentalists have been campaigning to put an end to the 2,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant proposed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for several years.
Last Monday, 16 demonstrators were arrested while they and about 500 people were marching from Thepha district to Muang district, where a mobile cabinet meeting was to be held, to submit their petition opposing the power plant to Gen Prayut.
The group were stopped by security officers along the way, resulting in a clash. Those arrested were charged with traffic blockage and assault.
Gen Prayut said everyone has to respect the law and enforcement officers have to do their job.
"Complaints can be made through several channels. If you come to me directly, it may affect my schedule, but I am willing to listen to everyone," said the prime minister.
He said he had received briefings from residents and government agencies, both opposing and supporting the project.
"I have received many requests from many sides, one of which was a group of 50,000 people in Thepha community expressing support for the construction," Gen Prayut said.
"We will have to find an agreement that both sides can agree upon. Local authorities will be responsible for this."
Gen Prayut asked the media not to create confusion or stir up the ongoing conflict over the issue.
"Ill-intentioned parties have used this opportunity for political purposes, pulling people's attention away from the positive things that are being done, which do not make the headlines, leaving room instead for stories about conflicts and politics," he said.
"This may be the way it is, but all I ask is that the media help us figure out this problem as well."
Gen Prayut defended the coal-fired plant project, saying that it would reduce the cost of power generation and provide power security in the region.
"If power plants can be built in rural areas, the cost will be lower because there is no need for cables to transport electricity. In addition, we would not have to worry about blackouts," he said, adding that buying electricity from neighbouring countries might not be secure in the long run if other nations decided to sell less or increase the price.
Gen Prayut also clarified the issues the protesters raised over the project.
As for the relocation of temples and schools, the prime minister said officials have already agreed to relocate them no more than five kilometres away.
"I have listened to a group of 5,000 to 50,000 people and they were satisfied with this agreement," he said.
Gen Prayut said there are no plans to relocate any communities at this time as the project has not started. If the project is approved, it will undergo committee review and be forwarded to the cabinet for consideration regarding compensation for any displaced residents.
The project is now undergoing an environmental impact assessment and an environmental health impact assessment.
In terms of marine environment concerns, Gen Prayut said the government will take steps to mitigate them, such as creating a dam to restrict potential damage.
The project will use imported bituminous and sub-bituminous coal. It is not correct that the plant will use lignite coal or that any mining will occur, said the premier.
In addition, some concerns were raised that the project will use seawater to cool down the coal and the hot water would be released to the sea. Gen Prayut insisted that there will be a system put in place to ensure water quality before it is released back into the sea so that it would not affect the marine ecosystem.