Prawit is facing an online campaign pressuring him to step down over off-hand comments he made about the death of a cadet, the remarks having grabbed national headlines.

The campaign founder is prominent figure Thicha Nanakorn, the long-serving director of the Ban Kanchanapisek Vocational Juvenile Training Centre for Boys, former charter drafter and ex-member of the National Reform Council.

Before the campaign was launched, the defence minister also landed himself in hot water due to his wearing of a controversial luxury watch and diamond ring, which he had not declared in his assets list to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) when taking office in 2014.

The anti-graft agency gave Prawit 30 days to explain how he had obtained a flamboyant Richard Mille wristwatch and diamond ring after the luxurious items raised widespread suspicion about the general’s “unusual wealth”.

It has been two weeks since the assets issue first hit the spotlight, but Prawit has remained silent on how he would explain his possession of the items to the NACC.

He said early on in the affair that he would submit a letter of explanation to the agency.

Local media reported, citing an aide of the deputy PM, that the watch had belonged to one of Prawit’s close friends who died earlier this year.

The aide said the pair had known each other for more than 60 years since their elementary-school days together.

The friend, who was a businessman and a watch lover, would always lend Prawit his watches and some were not returned, the aide is reported to have added.