The head of the Thai National Council for Peace and Order, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has called on the Thai people and international community to be patient and give the army time to bring the country back to normal.
The army chief made the statement during a nationwide televised speech on Friday.
Prayuth expressed his understanding that some people are dissatisfied with the take-over by the army. But he said only the army could ease the political turmoil in Thailand, adding he and the council are working on improving the situation.
He called for the protesters to allow the army to follow the "roadmap", which he proposed last Saturday to solve problems.
Under the "roadmap", a new round of elections will be held in at least 14 to 15 months.