“I am a professional soldier, and I follow orders from my superiors. I can confirm that there will be no coup, so there should be no concern about me,” he said.

Any government that rules with integrity is unlikely to be overthrown by the military, as the coup-makers would have no good reason to justify their action, he said.

A junta would never succeed without support from the public.

“In fact, this matter also depends on the majority of people in the country. If the government rules with morality, nothing bad will happen to them.

“I want you to forget about any possible coup by the Army under my helm. Do not ask me again about this. I won’t answer anymore,” he said.

The country’s last coups in 2006 and 2014 gained the “overwhelming support” of the people, as they could help avert political violence, he said.

Chalermchai officially assumed his post as the Army commander-in-chief yesterday.

He was speaking to reporters at the Royal Thai Army headquarters.

Successful coups in the past were often led by the Army’s top general, including the country’s latest in May 2014.

Meanwhile, the Army is to retrieve guns and ammunition taken by red-shirt demonstrators during the Bangkok protest in 2010, National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said yesterday.

He claimed that the Army treated the demonstrators fairly without discrimination.

Out of 86 guns taken by some red-shirt protesters from mili tary personnel, 29 were retrieved and 57 remained missing, Winthai said.

In April 2010, the red shirts’ United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) staged a rally to oust the ruling Abhisit Vejjajiva’s government. The demonstration led to blood shed that left at least 53 dead.

According to the spokesman, during the demonstrations, there were 10 events, including ones at Victory Monument,

Somdet Phra Pinklao Bridge, and Makkawan Junction, where protesters stole guns and ammunition from the Army and damaged military vehicles.

Winthai said the mission to retrieve the weapons is ongoing.