Prayut said the country had faced a number of problems because of the absence of spirituality, which provides what he calls “a moral blanket” against ill practices.

The premier said he did not want to blame anyone, but was reminding everyone about this point so people would come to help one another and get out of this sticky situation.

Dharma-based democracy, he said, was something that people did not talk about much, but it was actually crucial because it’s based on rationale. Democracy without dharma, he said, would find no peace and stability. To achieve moral society, this principle should be taken into consideration. It was also the starting point for reconciliation, he said.

“I just want you to be thoughtful about the country a bit and have conscience enough to be able to think of some religious principles that we can apply to our present political problems,” he said.