BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday encouraged Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to lead Thailand towards democracy.
Ms Merkel said before a meeting with Gen Prayut in Berlin that "Thailand has had very difficult years on the domestic front and ... I will encourage the prime minister to continue along the path of Thailand's return to democratic order as soon as possible."
Gen Prayut claimed to the German leader that, "We are advancing toward elections in February, 2019, and I have every intention of making the elections a fair and transparent process."
He did not use the word "democracy".
Separately, on his way to a meeting with some members of the Thai expatriate community in Germany, the PM praised Ms Merkel for her "great contribution to the world".
At the meeting, Gen Prayut instructed Thais living in Germany to "pay attention to the election and support the 20-year national strategy".
The meeting came a day after around 20-30 Thai expats had gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and raised placards in protest against the PM.
They also played the Rap Against Dictatorship song, which has passed 41 million views on YouTube alone.
Gen Prayut is scheduled to return to Thailand Thursday.
"Over the past four years under this government, Thailand has achieved stability and is heading to an election in February 2019," he told Thais that he met on Wednesday. "Everybody needs to change how they think. Vote carefully. Do not listen to things that have no substance."
The details of the meeting were reported to the media by deputy government spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak.
The PM said his government has issued a record 400 laws, and has improved the economy.
He said the GDP growth was 0.9% when he took power and is now 4.3%, thanks to the Eastern Economic Corridor development project, Lt Gen Werachon said.
Meanwhile, the state welfare cards given to the poor were neither an insult to the people nor vote-buying, the PM said.
He asked the audience not to see the 20-year national strategy as stretching over too long a period, saying the country needs to move forward in a changing world.
"Thailand has never faced this many wars among ourselves," he was quoted by his spokesman as saying.
"The national strategy has been laid out, but we have to wait and see whether the next government will be able to follow suit," the PM said.
"I insist that I work to my best without hoping for any benefit. In the past, society went off track and lacked unity. Nowadays I make everybody watch the same TV channels," he was quoted as saying.
Gen Prayut also met on Wednesday with executives of German companies Daimler AG, Draxlmaier Group, BMW AG and Verband der Bahnindustries in Deutschland and encouraged them to invest in Thailand.
