PRIME Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha offered yesterday to continue serving as government leader after the next election, even though he will not be paid for doing so.

General Prayut, who has ruled the country since seizing power in May 2014, said he aimed to stay in power via democratic means and in a proper way.

He said his starting monthly salary as a junior military officer some four decades ago was Bt1,950 and that he was currently making Bt75,000 a month as head of the government.

“Even though the work is harder and I am not paid for doing the work, I will be pleased to stay. But I will stay through democratic means and in a dignified way, although I don’t know now how that will come,” Prayut said.

Unlike the past few constitutions, the new one to be promulgated later this year does not require prime ministers to be an elected member of the House of Representatives.

The PM, who also heads the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), made his remarks in an address at an awards ceremony at Government House for organisations with excellent fiscal management.

Prayut admitted he had come to power through improper means but said he would step down in accordance with the roadmap that was set.

“Nobody invited me to be here so they have no right to give me the door. I am not going now. I will go at the time stated in the schedule,” he told the audience.

Prayut said that over the past two years in power his government had been tackling national problems that had accumulated for many years. He also complained that his government’s efforts had been obstructed by groups of activists he accused of getting funds from foreign countries.

The PM maintained that Thailand was “going back to democracy”, adding that it was the only path the country would take.

“Democracy is the most important in the world. We are part of the democratic world. We can’t be anything else. At this time, we are adapting for a return to democracy. But there is still a lot of opposition going on,” he said.

In response to rumours of a rift with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan over the annual transfer of Army commanders, Prayut said he would never bicker with Prawit “in this life, as well as the next one”.

He said there seemed to be attempts to create a rift between him and Prawit, who are the junta’s most senior figures.

Prawit was Prayut‘s supervisor when they served in the Royal Thai Army.

Separately, the PM told reporters at Government House yesterday that the selection of a new Army chief was not aimed at securing a longer time in power for the current government.

“It is his [the new Army chief’s] duty to support the government. Today, I am the government, so he has to support me,” Prayut said.

He complained that every move by his government seemed to have been viewed as an attempt to cling on to power.